The Picnic

 Nancy was doing her homework and Elizabeth was busy clearing the kitchen. Bored of the mundane schedule, Elizabeth craved an outing.

“Hey, Nancy,” she said. “I have an idea.”

“What is it?” asked Nancy in an uninterested manner.

“We have a holiday tomorrow, let’s go for a picnic!”

Suddenly, there was a sparkle in Nancy’s eyes. “Wow!” she exclaimed. “That’s awesome.”

“I know, right? We deserve a break.”

“I agree, mom. We surely do.”

“Where will we go?” asked Nancy.

“We can go to the hill for a hike and relax by the lake. What say?”

“A hike? That sounds tedious,” replied Nancy. 

“Come on, it’ll be fun! Imagine being in the forest. The beautiful flowers, the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, all in the peaceful lap of mother nature,” Elizabeth tried to convince.

“Or we can go to the mall which has an amusement park. The shopping, the gaming arena, the movie theatre, the scrumptious food, my mouth is already watering,” argued Nancy.

‘How times have changed,’ thought Elizabeth. ‘I want my daughter to experience the wonderful outdoors.’

“Let’s do this,” said Elizabeth. “This week we go for a hike and next week we go to the mall. What say?”

Nancy thought for a moment. “Two picnics are better than one,” she giggled.

“So it’s final, we are going for a hike tomorrow?”

“Yes, mom,” replied Nancy.

“Great!” exclaimed Elizabeth. “Let’s start packing then. Make a list of the last minute things that we will pack in the morning, so that we don’t miss anything.”

“Sure, mom.”

They both got busy packing their stuff. 

“Nancy, is your bag ready? It’s time to sleep,” said Elizabeth.

“Yes, mom,” replied Nancy and brought her bag out.

“What is this!?” Elizabeth said without a thought, looking at Nancy’s bag. It was a mess, all things she thought she would need, dumped in one bag. The contents of the bag also concerned Elizabeth. Nancy had packed some clothes, a charging bank, headphones, a gaming console, and her tab.

“This is my stuff, mom!” exclaimed Nancy.

“Come, have a look at my bag,” said Elizabeth.

Nancy was awestruck at how organised Elizabeth’s bag was. The contents, though, surprised her. Some clothes, a mat, a book, a frisbee, and a ball.

“Your bag is so neat,” said Nancy. “Don’t you need a charging bank?”

“I’m going to the hills to recharge myself, not my phone,” said Elizabeth.

“What does that mean?” asked Nancy.

“You will see when we get there and I’m sure you won’t need all the stuff you are carrying. Where is your last minute packing list?” 

“Here,” said Nancy. “On my phone. Where is yours?”

Elizabeth smiled as she removed her post-it note and stuck it on the refrigerator.