Humor

The shakers

george RAYMOND37 Comments

For as long as I can remember,

my mother always

set the table with

two sets of identical

salt & pepper shakers.

***

It didn’t make a

difference how

many were eating

or what was being served.

***

The table would

always be set with

two sets of identical

salt & pepper shakers.

***

I remember the day

when I stayed home from

school due to a high fever.

***

My dad rolled in the TV set

so, I could watch cartoons.

***

And my mom brought in a

tray with my favorite lunch.

***

And on the tray were

two sets of identical

salt & pepper shakers.

***

And though I often wondered. I never spoke of it

***

Until last week.

When I went to

visit my mother

at the Home for

the Very Age-ed.

***

She and I sat in her

small room & reminisced

about happier times

***

And then, finally,

after an hour, or so,

I gathered up the nerve

to ask the question

that had nagged me for

these many years.

***

I asked, “Why did you always set the table with two sets of identical salt & pepper shakers?”

***

My mother

closed her

eyes as if

in deep

contemplation

***

She spoke just

above a whisper,

and I leaned

in close so

as not to

miss a word.

***

“One set of the identical salt & pepper shakers,”

said my mother, “was poison!”

*

finis

for j.p.

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