Theme: Labor Law

A day for nothing

John woke up but he did not get up. It was a beautiful Saturday morning - the first day of vacation - and he had decided he wanted to do nothing. Not because he was tired, sick or in need of resting. On the contrary, he was a healthy boy, full of energy, who had a well-balanced routine among his school duties, sport and leisure activities.

But for John there was nothing better than having not to do, having no appointments, schedules or tasks. It was almost noon when John decided to get up. The sun was already strong outside, and his room was very stuffy.

He showed up in the kitchen on pajamas. His body felt a little stuck, because he had been lying for so many hours, and the bright light of day dazzled him. His mother was already preparing lunch.

- Good morning darling! Have you got up just now? Are you alright? I thought even that you were already gone. Your brother has been playing with the neighbors for a long time.

- Yes, I'm fine! I just decided to enjoy my break. I want to do nothing as long as I can!

The mother, surprised, looked at him:

- But who said doing nothing is good, John? Where did this idea come from?

- Oh, Mom, everyone knows that. That's why people like holidays and weekends.

- I think what they like is having time to do different things. Or rest when it is necessary. It is a blessing from God to be able to do things, son.

- I don't think so! I like to be idle! - replied the boy, taking a glass of milk and a packet of cookies.

- So, be careful, my son, because when we are idle our mind is also idle, and the tendency is to connect with nonsense or even negative things. It is very difficult to keep our bodies still and our minds happy. Healthy and useful occupations help us more than we think.

John did not understand much what his mother said, but he also did not bother to understand it. He finished eating, put the dirty glass in the sink and went to the living room, where he sat down on the sofa.

Soon after, the mother called the family for lunch, but John was not hungry because he had just finished eating.

On the other way, his brother came into the house very hungry, sweaty and with the soccer´s ball under his arm. Smiling, he spoke enthusiastically of the goal he scored and how his team turned the game around and won. He was surprised to see John on the sofa:

- John, are you still on your pajamas? I thought you would play with us. Everyone was there, even that Dudu´s cousin. He is a great player! He taught us some moves.

John loved playing soccer, especially with a great team. But, maintaining his proposal, he said to his brother:

- Not today! I want to get some rest.

After lunch, his brother wanted to prepare a cake. He had agreed to eat snacks with his friends and each one should bring something delicious. With the help of his mother, he made a cake with brigadeiro topping.

The delicious smell of the cake took over the whole house, and John wanted to eat a piece.

- No way. You could have helped to do it, or at least come with me. But you prefer to stay there resting - said the brother, leaving happy with the cake.

In the middle of the afternoon, John was hungry. He heated the food in the fridge and ate alone in the kitchen. He noticed that he didn´t change his clothes or brushed his teeth yet. He decided to do this, then. Without rush, he went to his room.

But when he got there, he lay down on the bed again. He was thinking that his brother was annoying for not giving him a piece of the cake. He also began to remember other occasions that upset him, and he felt angry at his brother.

After a long time, John finally changed his clothes and returned to the living room. He forgot to brush his teeth. He spent the rest of the afternoon lying or sitting. He watched TV, spent a long time on the internet, did nothing useful all day. When he realized, it was already getting dark.

When his brother returned from his friends' house, he told the jokes and games the boys had played. John had fun just listening to it.

His brother took a shower, had dinner and went to sleep early, tired but happy.

John, on the other hand, after dinner, wanted to talk to his mother, because he was upset.

- My first day of vacation sucked. I expected it to be quite different - said John, disappointed. - I thought I would be happy without doing anything, but it was very boring!

- Don't be sad, son. At least it helped you learn that you can't be happy without useful activities. This is a law of God. But don´t worry. God is so good that he always gives us new opportunities. Tomorrow you will have a whole day again, and you can enjoy it well.

John was encouraged by this idea. Full of plans, he smiled and said:

- So, good night, Mom! I want to sleep soon and wake up early. Tomorrow you will see! It will be a great day which I will make many things!

The mother smiled too, gave John a kiss and went to bed.
 

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com