Halliwell’s Episology (Year 1)
“Piper! Will you stay still and be very quiet?!” I hissed at the 4 years old sister.
“I am quiet! You are pushing me!” She winced softly at a 6 years old me.
“I’m not! You are getting a bigger space than me already!”
“Who says? This is my space!” Sulked her.
“This is not! It’s mine! I found it first!” Actually not, but being the oldest, it overrules.
“I found it first! You run faster than me only and it’s not fair!”
“That’s because I’m the older one!” My point was loud and clear.
“I’ll tell.”
“Shhh. here comes Phoebe.”

I have to keep very quiet and I can sense Piper as equally quiet as I am. You see, we were having a game of hide-and-seek, and our baby sister was the seeker. It has always been easier that way. Anyway, I saw little Phoebe crawling on her hands and knees, stopping occasionally and looking back at mummy who was not very far behind. Actually, mummy seemed to be the seeker, Phoebe was just to bust our covers.

“Pheebs honey, go further now. Prue and Piper are hiding behind that wall.”

Mummy was coaxing a confused Phoebe. Anxious and curious, I peered out from my hiding place. I saw her turned around trying to figure out what mummy was telling her but she looked at a place away from us. I could see my baby sister’s eyes wide with wonder, mouth opened in question and saliva drooling in excitement. change that to helplessness. I guessed mummy standing there looked more tempting than having to look for two missing sisters, and baby Phoebe decided to go crawling back to mummy’s safety net.

“No no, sweetie, find Prue and Piper. Where’s your big sisters? Pheebs, where are your big sisters huh?” Mummy coaxed and encouraged as if Phoebe really knows. Maybe she did know.

My youngest sister just celebrated her birthday a month ago. Though she couldn’t talk in complete words as yet, her baby language sure was getting better than infants her age. The next thing we heard, she started gurgling and mumbling, sometimes more like singing in a long big breath. Who’s say she won’t qualify for a place in the stage of opera in future? I crossed my fingers though. I decided to give Pheebs a helping hand. So I started calling out her name, loud enough to draw her to our hiding place, but Piper don’t seem to agree with my decision.

“Hey! Don’t do that! You are giving us away!”
“She can’t find us, we have to help her! I don’t want to stand here all day!” I argued.
“Ok. but you are the seeker next.” She never beat me to this hiding game, I always give her the most frustrating moments looking for me.
“Fine with me, I’ll seek you out first and make you the seeker after me.” I did that intentionally.

Well, at least I got what I want, a nice and cute pouting face from my middle sister. She didn’t have time to stay that way long either, cause little Phoebe crawled up to us and sort of peered over in a way she started laughing in her baby way. We were so busy arguing that we missed giving her the ‘boo’ scare that would definitely earned more laughter from her plus the drooling part. We simply love to see Phoebe laughing, she has such a sweet smile, and most likely her three teeth on both sets at front looked the most outstanding amidst the angelic face. I picked her up from behind at her armpits and with her legs dangling in the air, I carried her with much effort to mummy’s side.

My baby sister was growing everyday and at meal times, she never failed to reach her small hands over to my plate and made a grab at whatever I’m eating, cause she was just sitting beside me in her high chair, mouth messy as well as the napkin that was tied in front of her, and she would waved her equally messy spoon about making so much noise that Piper and I took longer than the usual time to finish ours, since we got to spend more time watching her filling up, laughing at her and forgetting about our own barely cleared plates. When she did want a share of my food, most of the time I obliged and fed her a little, mummy didn’t want her to have an upset tummy but I really can’t reject a cute face like hers can I? Besides being active at meal times, she loves all the fun and games me and Piper got her involved with. Well. in actual fact, my little sister seemed to be very active in everything, mummy always says that she will be the one to give the most headaches in later years to come. When I heard that, I have to wonder, how did mummy know that when Phoebe is not even a year old then? And whatever did she mean by that? Who cares, it’s not me to give mummy the pain anyway, I love her too much and Phoebe was already the sunshine of the family.

“Why don’t you girls hide? I’ll come looking for you.” Mummy said.
“Great!” And off I go went like a rocket.

Running into the backyard, I hid nicely just under some tall bushes and the shrubs there provided a nice cover for me. Luckily Grams only just decided to clear that later in the afternoon. Barely a minute later, who else but Piper came squeezing in with me.

“Hey! Go find your own hiding place! I came here first!” I was not happy that she has to share my spot and risked getting tickled by mummy. though I love it.
“I saw this place first! You just happen to run faster!” Piper always has a way to explain things to her own convenience, cause the word ‘illogical’ was never in her word bank then.
“No! You can’t hide here! Go to mummy’s room or hide in Grams skirt!” I’m not going to go soft with her this time, and I gave her a little push. Piper stumbled backward in unsteady steps and she turned to look angrily at me. But not before she stepped back and squeezed in with me again.
“I don’t care, I want to hide here!” She challenged me in the eyes.
“No you are not!”
“Yes I am!”
“I say no! Phoebe?”

I was about to push Piper again when I saw the youngest crawling towards us. I looked further away and saw Grams holding the backdoor open, that’s how Phoebe got out through it then. On all fours, she looked up at us with a smiling face. Whether it’s talk or argument, little Phoebe never fails to give two kinds of response, either looking at us in awe or laughing at our angry red little faces, plus the pushing and screaming. (Usually from Piper) When it comes to crying, believe me, it would be mayhem in the manor. Piper would always be the one to start first when she didn’t get what she wants, especially when it comes to fighting for things with me. Mummy would come scolding me for not giving way to my younger sister, that’s when I believe I wasn’t given a fair treatment, so I joined in the crying. And baby Phoebe, she seemed determined not to be left out so she joined in the crying din and boy, she screamed the loudest and most of the time, Piper and I would forget why we were crying and all we did was to coax our little sister till she quiet down and sucking contently to her little thumb, tear drops lingering in that big eyes of hers. By then, the three of us would be sharing a place in mummy’s hold, Phoebe in the middle with us by her side. I used to wonder were our crying the headaches we gave her or it was the heartache by the look of our sad faces.

Anyway, Phoebe crawled up to us and bracing against my legs, she tried to stand up on her own. It wasn’t the first time she has been trying to do that, mummy said that she was learning to walk soon. All I have to do is to give her a hand and make sure that she won’t fall over in case she received a hard landing on her head. I squatted down and held Phoebe by her arms, looking into her big eyes.

“You wanna hide here too huh Pheebs?” She gurgled and made a grab at my face.
“Yucks! That’s your saliva on your fingers!” I protested with a smile. She wasn’t embarrassed, in fact my reaction earned more grabbing from her at me.
“Hey Pheebs! You are a real naughty girl!” I laughed at her.
“Let Phoebe hide with us!” Piper was excited.
“Ya! Why not!” Although we did that many a times and I already know the results.

Quickly, I sat down on the grass and hugged Phoebe tight to me, setting her down on my lap with Piper beside me holding her little hand. But like I told you, my baby sister was never a quiet one. Just as expected, she started ‘singing’ to one of her best tune. Not monotonous, kind of a high to low pitch of letting out, then back to high and low again. Then she began to wiggle about in my hold wanting to get off.

“No Pheebs, you can’t go now. Mummy will be coming soon.”
“Pheebs, please stay quiet. You are talking too loud, mummy can hear you.” Piper was trying to hush a finger to Phoebe’s lip but my baby sister in turn was trying to mouth her finger as usual. She never wanted to stop thinking that everything that we put before her wasn’t all the time food. Then Phoebe gets really wild. She started screaming and waved her hands about, twisting her body trying to free herself from me.
“Pheebs, why can’t you sit still for a moment?” I sincerely wondered that.

Suddenly, mummy appeared in front of us giving a loud ‘boo’ scaring us, since our mind were pre-occupied with hushing Phoebe. We screamed out in fright and little Phoebe was stunned for a moment. But seeing our mummy’s lovely smile, she broke out in her famous three teeth glee, flashing her wide smile squirting her eyes, making that funny face that Piper and I have to laugh along. Mummy carried Phoebe into her arms and kissed her hard.

“Oh you little sweetie, mummy loves your smile a lot. (Then she looked at us) Come here my two other lovely sweeties.” Piper and I went to mummy and she enveloped us in one great bear hug. While she was at that, Phoebe has to take advantage of that situation and pulled hard at my hair getting a loud ‘ouch’ from me. It took mummy some seconds to finally pried off her fingers locking onto my hair. I watched as mummy pretend to smack her small hand.
“You naughty little girl. That’s Prue’s hair, you cannot pull your sisters’ hair, you understand? Huh? Do you understand mummy here Pheebs?”
Well, Phoebe didn’t ignore mummy, she answer her all right. with her usual baby language and the constant waving of her hands plus her funny smiling face. Whenever she did that, Piper and I have to giggle along, so did mummy.

“OK, do you want to play some more?”
“Yes mummy! Yes! I want more of hide-and-seek.” Piper squealed loudly.
“Me too mummy! Me too!” I love the game as much as Piper does.
“Why don’t both of you go and find a nice hiding place? Phoebe will be right behind you.” Mummy said that in a singsong tone and we knew what she meant. Quickly, we raced into the manor and before I turned around the corner to the living room, I saw mummy putting a very wild Phoebe down who obviously seemed excited and wanted to follow us to wherever we go. The moment she touched the ground, she crawled quickly towards me, the sound of her hands patting on the polished floor and her little knees pushing and pulling after one another. Maybe she did it a little too quick, suddenly one of her hand slipped and she plopped down flat on her tummy. I was about to run to her checking her out but decided against it. Because no sooner than the fall, I watched my baby sister getting up and resumed her crawling again, this time laughing since she thought I was going back to carry her or something.

“I’m here Pheebs! Catch me!” With that, I raced and hid behind the wall just at the corner. I wanted to be the first one she finds, I wanted to be the first one to hear her screams and laughs when she finds me first.

~~~~~~~~~~

(22 years later. Halliwell’s manor. I came down the stairs looking puzzled or somewhat frustrated. Walking into the living room, Piper was there on the couch staring into whatever was staring back at her from the small screen. Standing there scouting the surrounding, I knew I have to ask her although I hated to do it. So swallowing my pride, I opened my mouth.

“Piper?” She looked up with a face of question, more like the ‘Why are you interrupting me’ look.
“Sorry to break your thinking but I am wondering. err, have you seen Pheebs? Around maybe?”
“Prue, you are suppose to find her, not asking me for hints here.” I know that ‘Piper look’
“Oh no. don’t give me that now. I know I’m a lousy seeker but do help me out here. She’s been hiding for 20 minutes already and I have no idea where she is! Don’t ask! I searched everywhere, from the basement to the attic! From under the beds to inside the cupboards! Just no sight of her! Where is she?!” I know how I sound but that’s exactly how I feel, silly for being beaten at a childhood game. Piper chuckled and had to conceal her laugher behind a serious look.

“That’s why I refuse to play honey, she’s too damn good.”
“Before you continue with your preaching, tell me where she is first. I promise I’ll be good and sit with you to the end of your speech.” Piper was laughing now.
“Awww. come on sweetie, give your older sister a helping hand here.” I have to switch to pleading now, no choice. I don’t want to do the seeking for how long I don’t even dare to think about it.
“Just remember to retrace your steps honey, stop taking walks in circle. I do get many headaches seeing the both of you coming in and out like this.”
“Ohhhh thank you so much Piper!” Skipping off in one direction, I knew I will catch her this time. Couldn’t remember why I agree to this game with her. Was it because I wanted to cheer her up after the little giant Groghis incident? Or was it that I wanted to relish the good old times? Whatever the reason was, I sure did get a good response from my sister, she practically jumped up shouting a loud ‘yahoo’ into my ears and rushed off to begin the game. apparently she decided to hide first and I seek. It wasn’t that bad yet. I found her and she found me. It seemed that fun and easy. Until now. I knew that she must have been changing her hiding place as I searched from one to another but I can’t seem to find her as yet. worse still, the manor wasn’t as big as it seemed to be. As I turned around the corner heading for the stairways, who else but my sister was to jump out giving a loud ‘boo’ making me jumped up in fright, not to mention a loud yell. As I recovered my lost status, my sister has doubled over and laughing out loudly at my scattered wits.

“Phoebe! Do you have to scare me like that?!” I was kind of annoyed I was being made fun of. She didn’t answer me, too busy laughing away.
“Phoebe, will you stop laughing?” I softened my tone. I have to, because I think I am going to break up soon, laughing I mean. In fact, I could hear Piper laughing behind too. By then, Phoebe was hugging her own tummy sliding down to the floor still laughing out loudly. Her face was red and I could see tears at the corner of her eyes already but she wasn’t going to stop yet.
“Phoebe? Stop laughing, take a nice breathe of air. You are turning red already.” I knelt beside her and tried to get her to sit up, but she kept bowling over, still laughing but subsiding.
“G. gosh. P. Prue. (Laughing in bits) y. you are. a. a. really. l. lousy. seek. seeker.” And she lay down to one side and resumed her little laughs. I guessed she was thinking about the many rounds I spent in the manor looking for her then. Seeing her in that state, I have to expose my inner feelings too, I have to smile and broke into laughter myself. Just between me and Piper, neither of us could stay serious face for too long when she was already inviting us into her laughing fit. That’s my girl! Forever.