Work Text:
Lice, the bane of mankind's existence. The nasty little things crawl on the heads and body of the rich, poor, middle class, dirty, or clean with total impartiality.
My middle daughter has become the lice eradicating queen, taking over her poor mother's myopic eyesight with her own sharper vision. Using a home remedy found on line she searches and destroys the little fiends that showed up one day in her own short hair and that of her friend.
Many a cry of, 'who left these here' is heard among the young girls of the house and fingers point to a male guest. With many a growl and snarl, my middle daughter begins the tedious task of eradicating the pests. Beds and clothes are summarily washed though the hour is very late. Her parents head off to bed while the younger members of the house vacuum, wash hair and linens far into the night.
Relief is short won when a few weeks later the monsters make a reappearance on the head of her baby sister's friend. With an outcry at the girl's uncaring mother, my daughter immediately sets off on a mission to cleanse the girl of her unwelcome passengers.
Baby sister assists while keeping her own long locks out of the firing range. She had spent nearly an entire summer trying to rid herself of the buggers and hasn't had a case of it since and vows never to again so she volunteers to pull all the bedding in her room and wash them while her older sister takes care of the pests. The visitor had to put up with long hours of nit picking and having her clothes washed but by the time she left from her two day visit she was pest free. Though very grateful, the young visitor had her own cleaning to look forward to when she got home.
Middle sister has won the battle again and hopes to never see the creatures darken her home so the male friend has been banned until he can prove he too is lice free.
Such a tiny creature to cause such a hue and cry. Unfortunately, school is about to start for little sister and the vigilance for the dreaded pest begins again.