Rosa ‘sells’ Girl Scout Cookies

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” Rosa sounded more excited than usual before she hugged her father asking him how much he had missed her and before walking down the hallway to say hi to her mother.

“Yes, Rosa dear?” asked George.

“I want to sell Girl Scout cookies.”

George let out a slight laugh. “Why is that?”

“Because Rebecca is, and you can make millions of dollars doing it.”

“No, I don’t think you can make millions of dollars Rosa dear, because the money goes to the Girl Scouts.”

“Oh,” Rosa sounded disappointed. “You mean I can’t buy a fast car like Itzhak?”

George looked at his wife Sybil, who as always stood guard in front of the kitchen door to make sure her youngest daughter said to hi to her before going into the kitchen and asking Julia, who usually got home about an hour earlier what there was to snack on.

Sybil for her part smirked and mouthed the words ‘you created this monster’ and then added for effect ‘darling’ and then stood to one side to allow Rosa safe passage into the kitchen. But Rosa was not done yet.

“Why would Rebecca sell Girl Scout cookies if she doesn’t get to keep the money?”

George was lost for words he had to think quickly, “because you’re raising money for a good cause.”

Rosa was confused. “You mean I’m not a good cause?”

“No, no, no, it’s nothing like that. It's raising money for the Girl Scouts because they need It,” and then George stopped not really knowing what it was they needed it for. But then added after noticing the glee on his wife’s face, “for buying more Girl Scout cookies.”

Rosa rolled her eyes but didn’t add anything to what she believed was becoming a silly conservation. So she walked slowly towards her mother. Sybil extended her wings to see if Rosa had changed her mind and felt she owed her mother the same level of welcome her father got, but as usual Rosa just kissed her on the cheek.

“I have a great idea,” said Julia who was waiting for her little sister to come barging into the kitchen looking for a new snack.

“What’s that?” Rosa scanned the counters but didn’t see anything edible besides some breadcrumbs near the sink, which didn’t look appetising.

“We can beat Rebecca at her own game.”

“What game is that?” asked Rosa deciding if there was nothing new to eat, the breadcrumbs might have to do.

“Well, I could bake cookies and then we could sell them to people.”

It was the last few words which stopped Rosa in her tracks. “You mean sell them and keep the money or do we have to give the money to the Girl Scouts?”

“No, they won’t be Girl Scout cookies, they will be our cookies.”

“Oh,” Rosa sounded very deflated. “Why would anyone buy them? They have to say Girl Scouts on them, that’s what Rebecca told me.”

“No they don’t,” Sybil decided it was time for her views on this matter to be known. “You can call them whatever you want and as long as someone buys them then you’ll be fine.”

Rosa beamed again. “Thank you Mummy,” and with that she went over and gave Sybil a hug. ‘So that’s what it takes,’ Sybil thought to herself, ‘just wait, I’ll beat George at his own game!’ “What kind of cookies can you make?” asked Rosa going back into the kitchen, the only place in the nest Sybil was officially banned from because of her lack cooking knowledge. There was a time when she was allowed in just to make her coffee but that too was now off limits. The last time when she turned on the Keurig machine Sybil forgot to put a mug under the spout, so the coffee ended up all over the counter and floor. To make matters worse, she panicked and pulled rugs out of the bathrooms to cover the floor and tea towels all over the counters hoping no one would notice, but they did. No one could understand why she didn’t clean the counters and floors with the towels, but that’s a story for another day.

The next day when Rosa came home, she did something most unexpected. She ran through the door completely missing her father’s open wings and ran to the kitchen. However, before she got there Sybil witnessing the scene decided her ploy had worked and that her youngest daughter was in fact heading her way, so she opened her wings and Rosa not meaning to, crash landed into them. Both Sybil and Rosa fell to the floor. George who at first was going to laugh instead ran over and picked them up off the floor.

“Sorry Mummy,” replied Rosa, “I’m not used to coming to you first,” and with that she continued into the kitchen where Julia had a batch of freshly baked cookies cooling off on a wire rack. She could smell them all the way down the hall as soon as she had opened the front door. “What are they?” asked Rosa.

“Cookies, silly!” replied Julia laughing after witnessing the crash.

“No, no, what type of cookies?” Rosa was indeed very excited. The thought of selling them and keeping the money, as opposed to Rebecca who she saw at school earlier with a bag of money handing it to her teacher who was also in charge of the Girl Scouts and receiving a round of applause.

“Maybe this will be you one day,” said the teacher to Rosa.

Rosa for her part snickered and replied, “I don’t think so Miss Edwards. Why should I spend time selling cookies when I have to give you the money. My sister is baking cookies which we will sell and keep the money.”

Miss Edwards smiled hoping none of her other Girl Scouts heard what Rosa had said. “Chocolate chip!” replied Julia.

“I love chocolate chip cookies,” replied an overly excited Rosa, “may I please have one?”

Julia looked at her mother who was propping up the doorway and her father who stood behind his wife wondering how this would end.

“No!” replied Julia, “because you’ll eat them all and then there won’t be any to sell.”

“But you need to taste the product,” added George, “just to make sure they’re good and others will buy them.”

Sybil joined in a second later, after which Timmy came in with his friend Max from outside and soon all six of them were busy tasting the product. They were delicious. “I think we can make millions,” offered Rosa and then noticed there weren’t any left. “Oh dear Julia, maybe you need to make more next time. They’re all gone.”

Elizabeth walked in a that moment. “What’s that delicious smell?” she asked noticing the crumbs on the counters and floor.

“Chocolate chip cookies,” replied Rosa. “We are going to sell them and make millions and we don’t have to give any to the Girl Scouts, like Rebecca.”

“I see,” replied Elizabeth. “But there aren’t any left and you certainly can’t sell crumbs.”

“Julia’s going to make more,” said Rosa looking at her sister.

“That’s good,” replied Elizabeth leaving the kitchen, “let me know when you do.”

“I’ll sell them to you,” said Rosa, pleased with her pronouncement. Elizabeth kept walking pretending not to hear her niece.