From the diary of Griselda Vargas-Beilschmidt

61

Today is the cleaning day!

...yaaay...no.

Cleaning day is the day Uncle Prussia and Vati get all housewifey and just... clean, which, surprisingly enough, they look forward to. Basically the whole day. They dust off the high shelves me and Papa can't reach, they clean the windows, mirrors and vases until they're glistening. They polish the wooden stuff and they vacuum multiple times until they're satisfied. All curtains, blankets and bedsheets are washed and ironed. There shall not be a single puff of dirt present.

And as you could guess, that does not go well with the four pets who have fur and molt it in the house. So, every time, me and Papa take the pets and leave the two be for this day, go to Uncle Spain's and Uncle Romano's and Gabi's house and come back a few days later, when they're all cleaned up. We have to leave three of the pets with Mr Switzerland and Miss Liechtenstein, because Uncle Romano (and Gabi) made a house rule that allows maximum of one pet in it. (Stupid rules, I know, but I guess I can understand their point - Aster once completely destroyed their carpet when she was a young pup.)

Mr Switzerland acts like he's making us a big favour when we ask him to petsit them, but I know he loves them. I heard him cooing to the dogs when we were leaving. He's such a loner and acts like he doesen't want anything to do with anyone except his sister Liechtenstein, but he does have his soft spots, our dogs being one.

Miss Liechtenstein is much sweeter and kinder, always polite and taking good care of Mitzi (that's their deal - he gets the dogs and she gets Mitzi), who also tolerates her. She's nowhere near Vati levels of Mitzi's love, but she's definitely higher than Gabi. Sigh.

This time it was Aster's turn to come with us. Blackie and Berlitz, being both older, wouldn't like the long travel. And Mitzi didn't like neither Gabe nor Uncle Romano. Don't ask why. Sometimes, you just don't like the other and don't know why. It's like Russia and USA, right?

Anyway, so yesterday I have packed my things for the next two or three days, packed pet food and blankets, and left after breakfast with Papa.

While he was driving, I sat in the backseat with Mitzi in her pickup, and the bitches (female dogs) on my left. Berlitz got the front seat because he behaves the best.

So while Papa is driving (there was no Vati to scold him, so he's driving kinda fast) I'm writing this. Praise me for being patient and writing in a moving car!

Anyway, we were talking about cleaning, right?

Well, I don't mind cleaning. Much. Sure, it's annoying having to clean your room instead of doing something more fun, but hell, it's worth it. I'm no enthuasist (wooo!), but... meh. It's okay.

Both Uncle Prussia and Vati really love cleaning and tidyness. I remember Vati internally groaning when I was little and left fingerprints on the mirror or something. He wasn't mad, though, he only explained I should try to keep it clean as long as possible. He was the one who always re-folded my clothes neatly and wiped my mouth when I was a baby. Papa never was one for constant cleanness. His stuff is in more of a 'organised chaos', as he calls it when Vati tells him he should clean it up. Gotta give to him that he knows where which thing is more often than not.

Uncle Prussia is really even worse than Vati with this. He's a neat-freak. But hey, we've all got our things, don't we?

Uncles Spain and Romano and Gabi on the other hand...

Gabi's room almost always looks like there's been a tornado or something. And even Gabe himself doesen't know for sure where all his things are. Sometimes we just find random underwear behind the table, a forgotten bag of chips under the bed or a plastic animal toy between two books on the bookshelf and a book we were looking for itself under a plushed pig he sleeps with. (He calls it Maria and it's his favouritest toy in the world. He used to take it everywhere. Nowadays he only cuddles it when he sleeps. It's adorable. I have multiple pictures of that.) It's kind of adventurous, because you never know what you'll find next.

As for the rest of the house...

Let's just say Vati almost had a heart attack when he saw it for one of the first times. Now don't get me wrong, there's no pile of trash on the floor and no rotten food or huge layers of dust, but... it's its own world. It's also 'organised chaos'. Gabe had to get it from somewhere, right?

I think it's a known fact Uncle Romano has never been one for cleaning much. And Uncle Spain doesen't force him. Uncle Spain himself is no Uncle Prussia, so there you go. But, unlike Gabe, he seems to know where what is much better.

Oh boy, Papa is driving really fast now and I can't write further. Soon we'll be at Mr Switzerland's. The pets are looking forward to their friend. And I'm looking forward to Gabe's familiar, messy room and uncovering another secret it holds. 

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I wanted to draw a picture but my cat was laying on my desk and I didn't have the heart to shoo her ^^'