Brandy Alexander Before I Count to Three

Brandy AlexanderBefore I Count to Three

Written By: Aretha Abrams

Illustrated By: Henry Robinson


I love my little daughter

She’s 5 ½ years old.

She looks like me and

acts the way I used to act

so I’ve been told.


But Brandy is a challenge

when she won’t listen to

what I say. The things I

tell her for her own

good, sometimes she just

won’t obey.


“Brandy Alexander, you haven’t done

anything I said. I told you to pick up your

toys, stop playing and go to bed.”


“I know,” Brandy quickly replied. “But I’m

having too much fun. I’ll pick up my toys and

go to bed right after I’m done.”


“Look, little lady! Don’t you disobey me! I

want to see you in that bed before I count to three!


“One!” Her mother shouted, but Brandy

continued to play. She didn’t pay her mother

any attention. She just wanted her to go

away.


“Two!” Her mother said, as she held two

fingers in the air. Brandy sat with her arms

crossed, pretending not to care.


Then there was this morning,

she wanted pancakes instead of grits.

When I told her to eat her pancakes

of course she had a fit.


“I don’t want grits!” She cried. “I want

pancakes, sausage and eggs. I don’t want

grits.” She said, folding her arms. “I’m going

back to bed.”


“Watch your mouth young lady and do what

you are told. Now, sit down and eat that food

before your grits get cold.”


“One!” Her mother shouted, but Brandy

stood her ground. She crossed her arms and

turned her head and rolled her eyes around.


“Two!” Her mom said, as she held two

fingers in the air. Brandy look at her mother

pretending not to care.


I took her to the park. Of course, she wanted

to run and play. She took off running toward

the Jungle Gym without any delay.


“Momma, I know how to do this. I’m not

gonna hurt myself.”

“Brandy! Will you just do what I asked? I

don’t want you to hurt yourself.”


“I’m just having fun.” Brandy replied.

“Don’t talk back to me. I want to see you

sitting down before I count to three.”


“One!” Her mother said. Brandy would not

sit down. She swung even higher in the air as

her mother stomped her foot on the ground.


“Two!” Her mother shouted, holding two

fingers in the air. Brandy looked at her

mother pretending not to care.


“See, you think you know everything but one day you’ll listen to me. You’re going to

learn your lesson one day just you wait and see.”


But Brandy didn’t listen. The next time I looked around, she went her way and I went

mine without making a sound.


“Momma, where are you?”

“Momma, I know you didn’t leave me!”

“I want to see you face to face

before I count to three!”


“One!” She said, loudly.

She put one little finger in the air.

I was standing behind the center display.

I guess she couldn’t see me standing there.

Brandy AlexanderBefore I Count to Three“Two!” She said, even louder.

People stopped to turn around.

I stood right there in my place

and didn’t make a sound.


“Three!” She yelled, even louder.

With tears running down her face.

“I want my mommy!” She cried.

“I’ve been looking for her all over the place.”


“Mommy! Mommy! Where were you?

I thought you were gone.”

“You know I’d never leave you even

though what you did was wrong.”


The End

Brandy Alexander Before I Count to Three

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