DEAR MOM,

The house is haunted! I didn’t know that until a series of paranormal activities took place today in the evening when you had gone to the neighbour’s house. I know you won’t believe me, but you will once you see what pranks the supernatural power played.

In your absence I decided to do a bit of household chores to release your burden. While I was thinking where to start from, I suddenly remembered that we have to go to Aunt Samira’s house tomorrow for her birthday party so I decided to iron my dress. I already knew that I was to wear my new pink frock as you had told me yesterday, so I began at once. Although I’m not an expert at ironing clothes, I was surprised to see that I was doing it so well until suddenly, as if by magic, the iron burnt the bottom of my frock! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I’m sure there’s a ghost in that iron, so please throw it away at once.

The damage was not so bad so I thought perhaps I could mend it by stitching it. You know I’m not so good at stitching clothes but still I did the best way I could. My frock is almost as good as new again; the only problem is that the stitches have made a shape at the bottom, which somewhat looks like a crooked cross. But it does not look so bad and I think it will do.

Having done my ironing (which accidentally led to stitching), I went to the kitchen to cook something as I was feeling very hungry. I found a pile of unwashed dishes in the sink so I thought I’d wash the dishes first to make you happy. But gosh! I didn’t know there was a ghost in the kitchen too, or else I wouldn’t have gone there!

I had only managed to wash a few cups with my tiny hands when plates, glasses and bowls automatically started to slip off my hands and broke. I’m sure there was a mischievous ghost who was playing pranks on me.

I was a little taken aback but I didn’t panic and acting like a sensible girl, started to count the broken plates, glasses and bowls so that you wouldn’t have trouble afterwards in remembering how many of them the ghost broke. My calculations were these: five glasses, four plates and two bowls were broken by the ghost. My teacher says that my counting is perfect every time so I’m sure I haven’t made a mistake in counting these.

Although this scared me (only a little), but I didn’t abandon my plan of cooking. I didn’t want the ghost to think that I was scared of it. I got your cookbook and started searching for omelette’s recipe. Your cookbook is so full of recipes that it took me a lot of time to find the recipe of omelette. And while I was flapping its pages, the ghost snatched it from me and started tearing and folding its pages. I couldn’t see it or else I would have beaten it! After the ghost continued with the mischief for a while, it dropped the book on the floor. I picked it up and discovered to my great relief that the recipe of omelette was quite safe.

I went back to the kitchen, put on your apron and started gathering the ingredients for omelette. Egg, of course, was on the top of the list. I knew you put the crate of the eggs on the top of the big shelf. I stood on a stool and tried to lift the crate which was so high that my hands could hardly reach it. But after a few minutes’ struggle, I lifted the heavy crate. At that moment, the ghost pushed me. I tumbled on the stool and down I went on the floor with the heavy crate flying off my hands.

Thank goodness I didn’t break into pieces but the eggs did and I didn’t care if they did; it wasn’t my fault, you know. It was difficult to count the broken eggs until suddenly I had an idea. I looked inside the crate and found that 12 places of eggs were empty which meant that one dozen eggs were broken because of that nasty ghost. (I learnt in school that 12 make a dozen).

Well, I didn’t clean them up because the ghost broke them and I didn’t so it ought to clean the mess it made, don’t you think?

I was very angry with that ghost but, unfortunately, I couldn’t take my revenge and I’m sorry I couldn’t make it pay for the mess it created for you. I was so annoyed and fed up that I decided to give up and go to grandma’s house and get away from that rascally ghost’s pranks.

When you’ve sent that ghost away from the house, give me a call and I’ll come back right away -- but please not before that. I can’t stand its pranks anymore!

Hope you don’t get a fit when you see the house at sixes and sevens.

Your ever so loving daughter,

Muneeza

P.S: Once you get hold of that naughty ghost don’t forget to teach it a lesson!