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It was Friday night. I happened to be at the Malchoviches. At the dinner table Lisa was quieter and less responsive than usual.
"I want one more Jell-O. Can I have one more, Mom?'
After finishing his plate, Kenny poked his empty cup of Jell-O with his spoon, making annoying noise.
"Remember one Jell-O a day? "
Mrs. Malchovich casually brushed off his request. But of course Kenny insisted what he wanted.
"Please, Mom. Please. I feel dizzy. I think I need more sugar."
Mrs. Malchovich tried to talk him out of it in vain.
"You have already had your Jell-O. Put your plate away if you are done with your dinner. You have homework to do, right?"
"I'm waiting for Lisa. Remember I always do my homework with Lisa?" said Kenny, still poking his empty cup. Then Lisa, who was eating her pasta quietly, looked up Kenny and said, "Don't wait for me. You do your homework yourself. Don't wait."
She sounded nonchalant, but her eyes fixed on Kenny were sending a message. At this point I sensed Lisa was angry somehow. Looking back and forth Lisa and Kenny, I was wondering if I should offer my Jell-O to Kenny or just stay quiet.
"I wait for you." said Kenny, with a whimper.
"I know you wait for me because you can't do your homework yourself. "That's not true. "
"Yes, that's true. You just want ME to do it."
"I said that's not true. But I wait. " said Kenny.
"OK. You can have my Jell-O. But I don't want to help your homework anymore."
Lisa held up her Jell-O above her head.
"You are mean. "said Kenny, but he wasn't brave enough to take it from her hand. With a big sigh, Mrs.Malchovich walked to the fridge to get Jell-O for Kenny and I handed my Jell-o to him, too. We both tried to prevent what it was coming.
But it was too late. Lisa's patience snapped.
"Take it!"
Jell-O flew off out of Lisa's hand, hit at Kenny's head, and settled on the floor. Then Kenny burst into tears.
"Why do you do that?" running to Kenny, Mrs. Malchovich turned to Lisa. Lisa was up from the chair shaking her head. Then I saw her tears rolling down on her cheek. I had never seen Lisa cry.
"We have a rule here, which YOU made."
Lisa started a talk to Mrs. Malchovich.
"One Jell-O a day. If I were the one whining about one more Jell-O, would you give me another one? No, you wouldn't. You know I'm the one who is doing Kenny's homework. If I were the one who has someone else done my homework, wouldn't you get upset with me? "
We listened to her in silence. Kenny's cry got quieter.
"Cleaning our room on Saturdays was our responsibilities, but I always have to push Kenny to do and most of the time I do it for Kenny. Trashing is one of our chores. While I take out four trash bags, Kenny barely carry one outside. You know all these, but you always let him get away with things he doesn't want to do. "
I looked at Mrs.Malchovich, expecting her to say something, but she looked away and stayed in silence.
"Mom, Kenny is getting away so many things by whining and I don't. I try to do what you told me to do just to be responsible, and then I get more things to do and Kenny gets less. This is not fair. "
"You are older than Kenny and you are very smart girl that I can talk sense with .And you know how much I appreciate you for helping us." Mrs. Malchovich pleaded.
Then I saw Lisa's sad face, the saddest face that she ever had shown us. But a moment later it was gone and she wasn't crying anymore.
Lisa quietly said, "Mom, today I read Martin Luther King speech at school. And I really dream that all the sisters and the brothers get equal rights one day."
She walked away to her bedroom. | 
