A True Story from life in the country

A month or so ago my Freshman son came home from school and said,

"Mom I think someone is trying to pull a prank on me. Today when I opened my locker it smelled really, really bad, like someone put cat poop in there or something. It smells like it is on my jacket."

I try to stay calm. Mama Bear wanted to rip some kid to shreds for picking on my son. Each one of my other kids faces came up in my minds eye- was any of them to blame? Or, was there somebody at the school who was trying to bully him?

My son is very good natured, so I hid all of my suspicions and told him I was sorry and showed him how to launder his jacket. I helped him to laugh it off and told him to keep his eyes open for the culprit.

The next day he comes home from school and says his locker and jacket still smell,

"Mom, my jacket still smells really bad, and look what I found in my pocket!"

He pulls out some (freshly laundered) egg shells.

"Son, didn't you think to check your pockets before you washed your jacket? Clean out your pockets and stick it in the washing machine again. Any idea who pulled this prank on you?"

"No, none at all Mom!"

Later that evening I had a sinking feeling come over me. Some memory was dawning on my menopausal brain. I wasn't sure I wanted to allow it all of the way into my consciousness. This memory was horrifyingly embarrassing and personal... the kind of thing a Mom never would ever want to admit...

A week or so before my son found the rotten egg in his pocket I went out to do chores. I was in a hurry and lying by the door was my son's big fluffy winter coat so I grabbed it and put it on. As I was getting hay for the horses I noticed that one of our chickens had chosen to lay an egg in between some bales. I picked it up and put it in my pocket so that my hands would be free to carry hay....

I apologized to my sweet son and he forgave me.

My family has had a really great laugh at my expense.

Good thing I didn't say some of the things out loud I was thinking about the rotten "kids" who did this to my son!