Who's fooling whom?

On Saturday night, on the way home from our family gathering, Tharaa (10) said, ''Why, oh why does it have to be Monday tomorrow? I really don't feel like going to school tomorrow!!''

She and Shakeel (13) exchanged wicked knowing glances, waiting for the obvious response from Nuha (7), ''But today is Saturday. It's not school tomorrow - tomorrow is Sunday''.

But the diabolical duo persisted, '' No, silly. It's school tomorrow. Today was Sunday''.

The argument continued for  the entire night, with the older two deriving much delight from their little sister's bewilderment.

So much so, that they awoke Nuha on Sunday morning and urged her to get ready for school. Snickering, Shakeel got dressed in his school uniform, while Tharaa - who could not find her school uniform in the chaos inside her wardrobe - pretended to be sick, and thus unable to go to school. She was however more than willing to help Nuha to get dressed in her school uniform and ready for school.

They ushered the poor thing into my bedroom to greet me, before supposedly leaving for school. Their glee, at what they undoubtedly thought was an extremely well-executed and successful prank, annoyed me. As Nuha leaned in to kiss me, I whispered in her ear that it was not school and that this was just a silly practical joke.

Smiling, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, ''I know''.

The little darling had been allowing herself to appear to be the unwitting foolish victim of their roguishness - all for the purpose of providing them with the entertainment and cheap laughs they so desired.

And suddenly, she was not the one looking foolish.