A Tale of Justice

Dear Diary,

Today, I took my mischief to the next level, and I can't help but chuckle at what I've done now! Oh, what fun I've had! You simply won't believe the little plot I concocted.

As you know, I’m now in the middle of a little game with Mathi over his beloved T-Rex dinosaur, the one he’s used to scare the living daylights out of me every day. This towering, prehistoric beast has been dwelling beneath my bed, used by him as his sidekick in his relentless quest to rouse me from my slumber each morning.

He finds it funny; but you know something? I don’t! And I mean that! My little brother and his favorite toy are a menace around the house and especially in my bedroom!

I have been thinking that he must be stopped. Since Mom and Dad have clearly not done anything about it to help me out, it took the matters in my own hands.  I just can’t take it anymore, so I’ve decided to hide his prized possession—the splendid gift from last Christmas, courtesy of Mom and Dad.

It all began when, yesterday, when I had the unfortunate experience of my foot colliding with the stubborn beast. I assumed the only way this could have happened was if Mathi walked in my bedroom when I was at Hannah’s sleepover. His little brilliant mind probably assumed that I would not have seen the beast when I entered my bedroom. But noooo, as soon as I got in, and closed my bedroom door, I spotted the thing. I immediately grabbed the little monster as quickly as I put down my sleeping bag but in in one swift move, a segment of its tail broke off.

I’m feeling kind of guilty about that part, but oh well, accidents have a way of happening with toys.  I broke so many when I was his age. And you know something, in my heart of hearts, I know that fracturing it further would really have hurt his feelings, so I handled it with some care, but put it away.

Well, here’s the latest update: I’ve now hidden his dinosaur so well that even Sherlock Holmes would struggle to find it!

It’s been a day and rather than having me come clean, I’ve embarked on a more devious path—I’ve decided to conceal the creature. At first, my intention was simply to keep him clueless, but the more I pondered his irksome toy, the more satisfaction I found in my clever little plan.

Come breakfast this morning, I heard Mathi asking Maria about the whereabouts of his beloved dinosaur. Her genuine ignorance was both her alibi and my secret elation. I kept pouring my cereals in a bowl.Catching his side-eye, full of suspicion and mild irritation, I maintained an Oscar-worthy performance of innocence as I spooned my cereals, unaffected by what was happening. Then, my casual departure to the kitchen was executed with precision, and upon my return, I found them embroiled in a hasty strategy session about where their search should begin.

Then, looking frustrated, he asked me, "Have you seen my T-Rex anywhere? He’s missing, and I need him to lead my dino army!"

I feigned utmost ignorance. "A dino army, you say? Maybe the T-Rex went on a secret mission. Did you check the cookie jar? Dinosaurs have a sweet tooth, you know."

"T-Rex doesn’t like cookies. He likes scaring you!" he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Hmm, what a mystery! Well, I’m sure he’ll turn up soon. Dinos rarely miss snack time."

"Why are you so calm about this? You always scream when you see him."

After breakfast, when Mathi started his hunt for the missing dinosaur, I pretended to join in the search. I suggested we look in the most ridiculous places, like the fridge and under the couch cushions, just to see his confused expression. It was priceless!

"Good luck, little brother, let the game commence!"

Needless to say that the search was a useless exercise. But I still inquired if he had seen his toy, to which he glumly answered NO.

While hours were slowly going by, Mathi turned to Maria to help him find his toy in the afternoon. Oh my gosh, the two of them turned the place upside down.

But just to have more fun with the situation, I quickly planted a similar green toy under the sofa cushions as a decoy. When they found it, I watched his face closely. He seemed puzzled at first but then shrugged it off, thinking maybe he misplaced the T-Rex while playing. I had to cover my mouth to hide my laughter!

To add an extra twist to the situation, I secretly recorded a dinosaur roar on my phone and played it when he walked by. The look on his face was so worth it! He darted his eyes around, genuinely baffled, and I just innocently shrugged when he asked if I’d heard anything.

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what? The door….squeaking?”

“Never mind,” he said, clearly frustrated.

Little Mathi, the ever optimist in the house—grandma’s fault—concluded he'd wait for Mom's return after work in the hope that she would know where to find it. Of course, we both knew that for she, too, this will be a mystery when it comes to that dinosaur's fate.

Despite the fun I'm having, a tiny part of me feels a little bad...but only a tiny part. Yeah, I confess it, it’s true. A whisper of guilt is breezing through my conscience, flirting with the thought of remorse, but I can't help but feel he deserved this tiny twist of justice. Yet, somehow, I think Mathi might secretly enjoy the thrill of the chase too.

We'll see how long this little game of ours lasts. But remember, Dear Diary, we'll see how this tale unfolds. My secret is safe with you.

Mwah ha ha ha ha! Yes, I did it and it’s oh-so-glorious!

More about this tomorrow. Let’s see how he sleeps through the night.

I’ll be back, for sure!