Life is Good

Life is Good

“What happened here?” Mom said, standing in Jeff’s doorway. It was usually messy, but right now it looked like a tornado hit it! The bed was strewn with most of the contents of Jeff’s closet. You had to walk around the toys and clothes on the floor, all emptied from his dresser, his toy boxes and who knows where else!

Jeff looked up, kicking himself for not locking the door. “Ah, I was looking for something.”

“What?” Mom said, in her serious voice.

“Just something I was going to bring to school today.”

“Your homework?” Mom said, somewhat sarcastically, “because that would certainly be different…” Jeff could tell she was calming down by her making a joke about his homework. Still, he wasn’t sure it was a good time to tell her…

“Um, sort of, actually. We’re supposed to bring in something for ‘Show and Tell’ today. I had something good, but I can’t find it.”

“What, and, where did you see it last?” Mom asked, now very calmly.

“I can find it. You can go make breakfast like you usually do.”

“Breakfast is ready, why don’t you tell me what really happened here.”

“This is what really happened.” Jeff finally said, knowing there was no getting out of it. “I caught a mouse in the garage, and I was going to bring it to school…”

Mom didn’t explode, much to Jeff’s surprise. “Perhaps it got out of your room…” she said, in a voice that Jeff knew too well. “It’s in the kitchen in a bottle, it will leave this house FOREVER, when you go to school…”

“Thanks Mom!” Jeff said, running to the kitchen.

“And by the way, you’re grounded, all week! And this room needs a complete cleaning, today!”

Jeff still smiled. Life is good.