A Sad Short Story

On a Chilly February day a young 26 year old mother/beginner house wife was entertaining her Mo (mother in-law) who had traveled from afar to see her new grandson.  Mo was in the kitchen which made the budding new mother very nervous. You see, Mo's kitchen is the paradigm of what a good kitchen should be.  The young tenderfoot's kitchen was, how shall we say, lacking in organization and inventory.

Mo was sweeping through the domestic tragedy preparing to make some frosting to top her impeccable sugar cookies. She turned to the mistress of the apartment and inquired as to where the vanilla was kept.

The young wife felt her pulse quicken and a turn of nausea approached. She didn't have any vanilla.  She knew this without even having to look in the cupboard. It wasn't just happenstance that her cupboard was vacant of vanilla.  She hadn't owned any of the sweet ingredient for YEARS.  Truth of the matter, she didn't bake.. EVER. It just wasn't part of her short roster of culinary nohow.

She contemplated her next move.  Maybe if she searched hard enough a bottle vanilla would materialize from one of the 3 bottles of parsley housed in the cupboard.   She hunted fruitlessly knowing all the while that Mo was standing behind her confidently awaiting the vanilla that would never present itself.

With her palms sweating and her throat closing she turned reluctantly and confessed that the cupboard was bare.  No vanilla to be found anywhere.  She didn't even try stage a surprised reaction.  She knew her true colors had been exposed.  She considered offering up one of the bottles of parsley as a joke, but in the end decided to throw herself at the mercy of the courts.  She repeated "Yeah, I usually don't have vanilla handy."

Mo's face was deadpan. The scene wasn't computing. 

It only took a minute and bless Mo's heart, she extended mercy to the amateur and managed to concoct a lovely vanilla free frosting.

The young wife was completely dejected and has since stalked her cupboard with not only vanilla but various other ingredients that are fundamental in the world of baking.... her only hope is that someday Mo will return and find a more ready and able host.

{Authors Note}

The events in this story are entirely factual. 

Mo, thank heavens, is an exceptional woman.