- Text Size +
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and its characters belong to WB and Shoot the Moon Productions. No infringement is intended. This is written for entertainment purposes only. Please do not redistribute or reproduce this story without my permission.

Thanks: To Carrie for being a great beta and fixing my grammar goofs.

Note: This story is part of my series of five-second meetings. This story is also in answer to the April 2012 monthly challenge using the words: basket, chocolate, bunny, peep/s, parade
The Eggsplosion

Friday April 16, 1954

One hundred and twenty!

Dotty stood in the kitchen doorway and stared at the sea of white and colored ovals that covered every available surface.

Eggs. Eggs. Eggs.

Cartons filled with dyed eggs. Others pristine white waiting to be dyed and repacked.

What in the world had she been thinking taking on a task of this magnitude?

Why had she volunteered for this job?

Maybe she’d lost her mind. That’s it.

She’d gone crazy.

No. She shook her head.

It would be all worth it seeing the smiles on children’s faces as they played on new swings, monkey bars, teeter totters and slides at the park.

During the summer a group of mothers had formed a committee to help raise money for the deteriorated and rusted playground equipment.

Over the past nine months they’d held bake sales and raffles, but tomorrow’s Easter egg hunt would be their grand event. They knew they couldn’t rival the annual Easter egg roll on the White House lawn, but they could create the second best.

“Mama.”

The sound of her daughter’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. “Did you have a nice nap?” She noticed her daughter’s mused hair and finger combed it. The soft strands felt like silk flowing through her fingers.

Amanda nodded her head. “Can I help with eggs?”

“Of course, Sweetheart. Let’s put your bib on so you don’t ruin your clothes.” Dotty tied an old torn up t-shirt of Carl’s around her daughter’s neck. “Go sit at the kitchen table while I make the dyes.”

Dotty watched and smiled as Amanda pulled out the chair, climbed up and sat down like a proper little lady, her hands folded in front her on top of the table. Her little girl had very nice manners.

After opening the last package of dye, she punched out the holes in the box for the finished eggs to sit in. Then she placed three tablespoons of vinegar in plastic cups and poured the dyes in. Within moments the dye dissolved.

Placing the cups in front of Amanda, Dotty sat down next to her. “Remember, Darling be very careful.”

Amanda took one egg and set it in the wire holder. With her tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth in concentration, she slowly lowered it into the vinegar mixture and back up again. “I no splash.” She smiled brightly her mother.

“Good girl.” Dotty kissed her check. The first time Amanda had tried to put an egg in, she’d dropped it causing liquid to splash out of the cup. Thankfully, she’d placed newspaper on the table to absorb any accidents. After a few more mishaps she’d gotten the hang of it and become a master dyer.

“Honey, I’m home. Where are my girls?”

“We’re in the kitchen.”

“Daddy. Daddy.” Amanda jumped from her chair and ran to her father.

Carl swooped her up in his arms. “I see the Easter egg brigade is hard at work.”

“We’re almost done. Just this last batch left.” Dotty rose and kissed her husband in greeting.

“What’s that smell?” Carl’s nose wrinkled.

“Vinegar. I’ve been alternating boiling and dying the eggs so the odor wouldn’t overpower the house.” She wiggled her multicolored fingers at him. She had a date with a bar of Lava very soon.

Carl set his daughter down. “All those are finished?” He pointed to stack of closed cartons.

“One hundred and twenty!” Dotty swiped her hair out of her eyes. “I’ve been at it since you left this morning.”

“That’s a lot of eggs! You should’ve volunteered to fill the plastic eggs with CHOCOLATE candy instead.”

“Those aren’t the same. You can’t have Easter without real dyed eggs. I’m not the only one doing them, there are four others making the same amount. We want to have plenty for the children to hunt and roll.” She looked up at him with one raised eyebrow. “ By the way, you’re taking us out to dinner tonight. I didn’t have time to cook and I want to get out of this kitchen for the evening. If I see another egg I think I’ll scream and explode.”

“How about we go to the A&W? I don’t want you eggsploding.” Carl laughed at his pun.

Dotty groaned inwardly at her husband’s attempt at a joke. “Perfect.” A root beer in a frosted mug with a hamburger and fries sounded like heaven to her. Plus, Amanda loved how the carhops roller-skated back and forth taking and delivering orders.

Saturday April 17

Dotty waved to her husband as he drove off. He had several errands to do, before delivering the eggs to the park. She reminded him to be home by noon.

As she walked into the house, she heard Judy Garland’s beautiful voice coming from the radio singing about strolling down Fifth Avenue in her Easter bonnet. Easter PARADE was one of her favorite movies.

Around eleven, for lunch Dotty fixed them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When she put the jar of peanut butter back in the cupboard she saw the package of PEEPS she’d purchased the other day. They were a new product and she wasn’t sure how they would taste. But they were on sale, so she’d indulged.

She took the package down and brought it to the table. They’d have one or two for dessert. When Amanda finished her sandwich Dotty slit open the package of ten yellow chicks with her fingernail.

“Here.” She handed one to her daughter.

Amanda began to play with the chick by pinching it with her fingers and poking at the little eyes.

Dotty pursed her lips and gave her daughter the stern look. A look she’d mastered just recently. “Do we play with our food young lady?”

Amanda shook her head. “No, mommy.” Then promptly bit the head off the chick.

Dotty took one for herself and when she bit into it her mouth exploded with the taste of sugar and marshmallow savoring the sweetness. Oh dear, these could become highly addictive. She could never resist the temptation of a marshmallow. In fact, no one, not even her husband, knew where she hid the bag of marshmallows she used for baking and hot chocolate.

“More.” Amanda tried to reach for the box.

“Okay, but just one for each of us.”

At eleven-thirty Dotty took Amanda into her bedroom to play with her dolls while she went to get dressed. It didn’t take her long to get ready. Standing in front of the full- length mirror she admired her outfit. The belted blue skirt accentuated her tiny waist. The matching blouse and bow tie collar completed the ensemble. She perched a hat on her head and slipped into a pair of black heels.

When she opened her daughter’s bedroom door she found Amanda playing quietly on the floor with her dolls. “Ready to get dressed?”

Amanda jumped up. “See Easter BUNNY.”

“Yes, but first you have to put your toys away.” Dotty went to the closet and pulled out the new dress she’d made for Amanda to wear.

“Okay.” Amanda picked up one of her dolls. “Time go nap, Patty Cake.” She laid the doll on her bed pillow. Then in turn she told her other five dolls to go nap, lining them in a row on her pillow next to Patty Cake.

Five minutes later, Dotty ran the brush through Amanda’s hair one last time. She checked the bow of her dress and turned her daughter around. She placed the white straw hat decorated with Daisies on her head and tied a bow under her chin to keep it from falling off.

“There. All done.”

“Are my girls ready?” A masculine voice filtered into the room.

“Daddy’s home.” Hand in hand they went to living room.

Carl sat in a chair. “My, don’t you both look pretty.”

“Wanna see Easter Bunny.”

“You will, Panda.” Carl winked at his wife.

At the park, Dotty noticed a lot of people already in attendance. Kids decorated eggs at long tables. Adeline, a lovely gray haired grandmother, sat in a chair reading to children gathered around her sitting on blankets on the grass. One of the local farmers had set up a petting zoo with baby chicks, bunnies, piglets, lambs, and calves.

The afternoon flew by before Dotty realized it and soon the Easter Bunny would make his appearance.

During the egg roll, Carl whispered in Dotty’s ear, “time for me to go.”

“Have fun.” They’d time his exit so that Amanda wouldn’t notice her father had gone. Carl hadn’t looked forward to ‘assignment’ but she hoped he’d have fun.

Dotty led Amanda to the line to see the Easter bunny. Children would sit on his lap and he’d give them a plastic egg filled with candy.

An hour later Dotty watched as Amanda filled her BASKET with eggs at area sectioned off for the egg hunt. “Do you think she suspected?” A voice asked from behind her.

Dotty turned to her husband. “Not a lick. She was so excited when she came back to me and showed me the egg you gave her. Now that wasn’t too bad was it? All you had to do was nod and gesture. You didn’t have to talk to the children like Santa does.”

“No, but that was the longest hour I’ve ever spent and that dang costume was hotter than Hades.”

“It was worth it to see the smiles you brought to the children.” She patted his arm.

“Especially the smile from my Panda. Did she even notice I was gone?”

“No, I kept her so busy she didn’t have a chance. We went to see the baby animals again and spent the longest time cradling a baby chick.”

“Speaking of our child, where is she?”

Dotty looked out over the sea of children filling baskets searching for her daughter. “There she is by that tree.” She pointed.

Carl chuckled. “Looks like from here, a lot of those eggs you dyed yesterday will be coming back home with us. Her basket is overflowing.”

“That’s why I didn’t make any for us.”

“I don’t know about you but I could use a nice rest at home about now.” Carl put his arm around Dotty’s waist.

“You don’t know how good that sounds. Amanda, time to go,” Dotty called and gestured to her. Dotty watched Amanda skip toward them.

Then suddenly, she fell or tripped over something. Her basket of eggs scattered on the grass.

“Oh dear!” Dotty and Carl both headed towards their daughter. Dotty knew she hadn’t been hurt because she wasn’t crying, but still she wanted to check her daughter to make sure.

Just as they got to her, a little boy ran up and picked up all her eggs and put them back in her basket.

“Here.” He handed her the basket.

“Thank you.” Amanda handed him one of her eggs.

Before either she or her husband could thank him, he ran off towards a man and woman.

The man tussled his son’s hair. “That was very gentlemanly of you, Lee.”

The little boy beamed up at his father.

The End
You must login (register) to review.
Terms of ServiceRulesContact Us