Show and Tell

[plezherus (imported)]

On the side I remebered something the other day. Perhaps some of you have similar stories or can relate.

I was the second son to a successful scientist. My oldest brother was the heir, and my role was to keep my mum happy. While my misgiving about the youth doled out to me have been many, over the past several years things have begun to improve. Finding this place has been a great releif.

At anyrate, my father would travel frequently. When I was about seven years old my dad brought me something from overseas. When he arrived home we would always rush to see what he had brought. One year he gave me an elephant leather wallet another time I got some fire enigines. However the thing I now remeber most vividly was a little gray sack. Its was soft like velvet. Inside the sack were two round glass beads. One was red, the other yellow. Well they were called worry beads, from where they came I have no idea. I woul hold them up to my eyes and peer through the colored glass. I liked the way the bubbles in the glass made me adjust my view. I would have to look around them to see far of objects.

Anyway, I decided the miniture sack would be my show and tell project for class. I would bring the little gray sack into class and explain just the purpose of those beads. I quized my dad about their function and he showed me how I was supposed to roll the glass beads in the palm of my hand. This rolling was supposed to relieve anxiety. I felt confident as I put the beads away in a dresser drawer, hoping my classmates would be as fasinated as I.

However, when I awoke the next morning the beads were gone. I was frantic. Was this a cruel joke? Why would someone just steal off in the night with my beads like that?

I ran to my mum and asked what could have possibly happened to them. She seemed unconcerned, almost amused. "Oh, you must have misplaced them. Don't worry they will turn up. Now hurry up and get ready for school".

How the hell was I supposed to do show and tell, let alone show up yo class without my damn beads. Shit, I thought, what a mess. My father also was of no help. He was worse than mum and actually blamed me for their loss.

"You must have thrown them in with close. I'll help you look for them tonite".

Look dude, I thought, I need that sack and those beads for class. I can't just show up empty handed.

Well, I wound up going to class without my sack and beads. I arrived late, as usuall, and sat in my seat. The teacher called me to the front of the room. I stood there explaining, as I wound my arms around my body and drove my hands into my pockets. Explaining my situation was a horrific experience. What was this woman going to do to me? Would she call my folks, would I be grounded. I was already a clown and this little misstep was going to derail the whole damn third grade.

However a look of curiosity soon came upon her face. Instead of being upset she seemed sympathetic and a bit intrigued. She had me explain what they looked like and what they were for. I even told her how I had been so careful with them. She releived me by saying I could do show and tell another day, and that losing my beads and sack had obviously been upsetting to me. She hoped that I would be able to find them tonite and show them to the class the next day.

I went home that night and searched high and low. I looked through the clothes, knowing full well I had been careful to place my little jewels in that drawer. I never found them. To this day I can only guess what happened to those beads.

God I miss those damn beads.

-plezherus