M.L. Lacy
I always had an over active imagination, but the only mystery I could come up with was the case of the missing Easter Bonnet, or better known in my family as: The Missing Easter Bonnet and the Holy Goofy. Now, I really can't call this a mystery, but perhaps it would make a good children's read someday.
I grew up on a farm. A woods separated our house from the river. I was not allow past a fence in the woods. Well, I don't have to tell you telling a child not to do something was like waving a red flag in their face! (lol)
I had to be 8 or 9 at the time. We'd just gotten home from church and I had changed out of my Easter dress and shiny shoes and into pants, a tee shirt and tennis shoes and was out the door in a flash and heading for said woods.
As the screen door slammed, I heard my mother yell at me telling me she wanted my Easter Bonnet so she could put it away. Well, it was still on my head, and I was halfway down the hill. My thoughts were set on where I was going and I didn't want to go all the way (which in my child's mind was like miles up the hill) back up the hill to take it off. I told myself I would be careful.
After passing the forbidden zone, I made a mad dash to the 'creek' (the water was barely a trickle) but it had enough to support frog life. It felt like hours had past before I heard my brother call telling me it was time to eat. I had been all over the woods. Climbing trees, trying to catch frogs, and playing.
As I ran up the hill, it was then I realized... I'd lost the bonnet and I had a choice, go inside and admit the loss... or go back to the woods and look for it. I chose the latter. After retracing my steps, (and being that young, I'm sure I wasn't even close to retracing my steps correctly) and not finding the bonnet... I knew I was doomed to be grounded--my worst possible fate.
As I entered the kitchen, I knew my mother was mad--first I was filthy mess and second I was late for Sunday lunch--my sister was clearing the table.
The inquisition started: Were you in the woods? I knew better than to roll my eyes at the question--my clothes were a dead giveaway so I knew she knew I was, but to roll my eyes would add more days to the grounding. I nodded. And I suppose you were playing in the creek? Again--my appearance was a dead giveaway... I nodded.
Luckily, my dad was sitting at the table drinking coffee, and he came to my rescue. "Go wash your hands and then give your mom your Easter Bonnet so she can put it away." Now, as an adult and having raised my own sons and I, having the 'parent's eyes in the back of their head' gift as all parents have, I now knew my father knew that was not going to happen, but as child, I wasn't feeling very rescued. He'd just put a bull's eye on that blasted bonnet!
While I washed my hands, I did my best to think where that stupid bonnet could possibly be, but came up empty. As I sat at the table and the dreaded question came, I said the first thing that came to my mind. "The holy Goofy stole it."
My mother was... mad (understatment), my father however, almost spit his coffee out. Well, my story grew from there. I recanted how the Holy Goofy had snatched it off my head and ran away. I chased him up trees, he'd disappear to another tree, and on went the story and the bigger my story became, I knew the longer my grounding would be, but I couldn't stop--I was committed at that point!
My father surmised I'd snagged it on branch and he'd go find it. My mother was sure it wouldn't be worth finding now.
The bonnet was never found, the grounding was a week--the front yard was my cell... plus no TV for the same time period. But from that day on, when we said grace at the table, my father aways ended the prayer with: In the name of the Father, the Son... and the Holy Goofy, Amen.
I grew up on a farm. A woods separated our house from the river. I was not allow past a fence in the woods. Well, I don't have to tell you telling a child not to do something was like waving a red flag in their face! (lol)
I had to be 8 or 9 at the time. We'd just gotten home from church and I had changed out of my Easter dress and shiny shoes and into pants, a tee shirt and tennis shoes and was out the door in a flash and heading for said woods.
As the screen door slammed, I heard my mother yell at me telling me she wanted my Easter Bonnet so she could put it away. Well, it was still on my head, and I was halfway down the hill. My thoughts were set on where I was going and I didn't want to go all the way (which in my child's mind was like miles up the hill) back up the hill to take it off. I told myself I would be careful.
After passing the forbidden zone, I made a mad dash to the 'creek' (the water was barely a trickle) but it had enough to support frog life. It felt like hours had past before I heard my brother call telling me it was time to eat. I had been all over the woods. Climbing trees, trying to catch frogs, and playing.
As I ran up the hill, it was then I realized... I'd lost the bonnet and I had a choice, go inside and admit the loss... or go back to the woods and look for it. I chose the latter. After retracing my steps, (and being that young, I'm sure I wasn't even close to retracing my steps correctly) and not finding the bonnet... I knew I was doomed to be grounded--my worst possible fate.
As I entered the kitchen, I knew my mother was mad--first I was filthy mess and second I was late for Sunday lunch--my sister was clearing the table.
The inquisition started: Were you in the woods? I knew better than to roll my eyes at the question--my clothes were a dead giveaway so I knew she knew I was, but to roll my eyes would add more days to the grounding. I nodded. And I suppose you were playing in the creek? Again--my appearance was a dead giveaway... I nodded.
Luckily, my dad was sitting at the table drinking coffee, and he came to my rescue. "Go wash your hands and then give your mom your Easter Bonnet so she can put it away." Now, as an adult and having raised my own sons and I, having the 'parent's eyes in the back of their head' gift as all parents have, I now knew my father knew that was not going to happen, but as child, I wasn't feeling very rescued. He'd just put a bull's eye on that blasted bonnet!
While I washed my hands, I did my best to think where that stupid bonnet could possibly be, but came up empty. As I sat at the table and the dreaded question came, I said the first thing that came to my mind. "The holy Goofy stole it."
My mother was... mad (understatment), my father however, almost spit his coffee out. Well, my story grew from there. I recanted how the Holy Goofy had snatched it off my head and ran away. I chased him up trees, he'd disappear to another tree, and on went the story and the bigger my story became, I knew the longer my grounding would be, but I couldn't stop--I was committed at that point!
My father surmised I'd snagged it on branch and he'd go find it. My mother was sure it wouldn't be worth finding now.
The bonnet was never found, the grounding was a week--the front yard was my cell... plus no TV for the same time period. But from that day on, when we said grace at the table, my father aways ended the prayer with: In the name of the Father, the Son... and the Holy Goofy, Amen.
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