Yesterday we were leaving my MIL's house - Hana was packing up her Nintendo and started to panick that she could not find her little pouch of game cartridges. We started to help her look and indeed, it was nowhere to be found. Now, this is no "little" pouch - it contained about 8 different cartridges - probably at retail value of 320 euros or so.
PeeWee started scolding her about not taking care of her things and Hana started to cry at the gravity of the situation and I continued to turn the place upside down in search of this little pouch. We asked Manolee if she's seen it, but she said no, sat in a corner and sang to herself.
We had to leave, so we asked my MIL to continue the search and got in the car. PeeWee was now getting really upset and yelled at Hana all the way back home. Hana was now inconsolable, and I glanced back at Manolee to see how she is handling all the yelling and crying. She just looked back at me and shrugged her shoulders.
We got home and we called our friend L., who had taken Hana to McDonalds the day before - Hana took the Nintendo with her to play with her son afterwards. She said she would go back to McDonalds to check.
Hana was teary practically the entire night as PeeWee swore never to buy her another Nintendo game.
Next morning on the way to school, Hana got all teary again and asked whether her grandma would find the pouch, or whether it would be L. who would find it at McDonalds, though she swore that she did not take the pouch out of the car when she went there. I told her not to worry during the day, we won't know till we won't know.
Before school ended, my MIL called to say she looked everywhere but it is nowhere to be found. L. also called to say that it was not in her car nor at McDonalds... she was really sympathetic to Hana's plight.
I picked up the girls from school and Manolee asked whether her grandma found Hana's pouch. I sadly shook my head. Then we went to pick up Hana and she immediately asked for an update. I said that I have bad news, that it seemed to have disappeared and we cannot find it anywhere. She started to cry again. I really felt bad for her. When we got home, Hana was practically wailing and I happened to glance over at Manolee and she had this smirk on her face. I had an 'a-ha' moment. Right there in the building lobby, I asked her - Manolee, do you know where Hana's Nintendo pouch is? She shook her head, but smiled at the corner of her lips. She has been known to hide Hana's things under the bed or under the couch in the past, so I pursued this line of questioning. She kept on denying it and proceeded to go up the stairs. Then Hana got wind of the situation and asked too, and added, if you tell me the truth I will give you ten marbles. Manolee held up her right hand with five outstretched fingers and asked, "like this many?" Hana said yes. I asked again. She denied it. I asked yet again this time really firm, "you know, when Papa comes home and finds out that grandma and L. did not find it, he's gonna really yell at Hana a lot and a lot and a lot. He's going to be so angry." She looked up at me and asked, "if I tell you, you won't get mad?" Hana and I both swore that we would not be bad. Manolee asked again, "if I tell you, you won't tell Papa?" - Hana and I both swore we would not tell PeeWee. Manolee then asked "Hanaya, you still give me this many marbles?" - Hana said she would. Manolee wanted to confirm again, "you won't be mad?" - we said we would not.
Then she spilled it out. She said she hid it at her grandma's house. We asked where. She specified, "in the basket next to the room upstairs where we keep shoes and slippers".
We hurried upstairs, ran in the apartment and called my MIL. And what do you know - the pouch was exactly where Manolee said it was.
Because we promised, we could not get angry at Manolee. Hana and I were both relieved to have found it anyway. But can you believe? She is only 3, but her ability to deceive and scheme - and keep her mouth shut while witnessing her big sister cry and wail for a whole day? It's quite extraordinary, no?
Should I be worried??
