“I am so glad you all made it out for tonight’s activity. I know we advertised it as a couple’s activity, but that was so we could guarantee equal numbers for our teams. Tonight, it is the ladies versus the gents in a scavenger hunt.” Janine announced proudly.
Most of the men groaned. I rolled my eyes. My best friend grabbed my hand under the table and squeezed tightly.
“Each team will be given a copy of the list. The teams can decide how to approach it. Earl and I will be sitting out since we devised this hunt, but good luck to the rest of you. Separate into teams and let’s get started.”
We quickly divided into groups. As the girls congregated on one side of the room, the men wandered off to the other like an awkward junior high dance. When we were appropriately distanced, Janine handed the girls copies of the list and Earl handed a couple to the guys. As our husbands leaned their heads together, the wives turned to our usual leader Rose. Her eyebrows tried to touch as she stared at the list.
“Looks like we each need to find five items to get this done as quickly as possible.” She began folding and tearing the paper until she had a slip of paper for each of us.
As she handed me the last slip, I scanned it quickly. The first four items were easy: a softball, a hard-boiled egg, a team t-shirt, and a magnet with a name on it. The fifth one had me looking up at our illustrious planners with suspicion. They couldn’t know that my mother had an autographed copy of Stephen King’s “Carrie” or that she guarded it more rigorously than the four carat anniversary band my father bought her for their fortieth wedding anniversary.
“Get going, girls. I want everyone back here as soon as possible.”
I raced off toward my house. Twenty minutes later, I had passed the first four items off to Rose who lived across the street from me and assured her I was off to find my last item. She nodded understanding as she mumbled something about hoping she could be as confident about finding her last item. I laughed at that and rushed to my car.
By car, my mother’s house is usually five minutes away. Somehow it took me only two minutes. I raced to the door, trying to regulate my breathing before my mom answered the door. I almost succeeded.
“Betty,” my mother smiled and enfolded me in a hug.
“Hi, mom.”
“What you brings you to see me? And breathless? Don’t you have that couples night thing at church tonight?”
“I do.” I nodded. “That is kind of why I am here.”
“Oh?” I saw all the worst case scenarios beginning to spin behind her eyes.
“No, mother. Nothing is wrong. We are doing a scavenger hunt…”
“Do you need knitting needles. You know I have tons of those.”
“No. I need you to trust me.”
Her eyes widened. “If you try to blindfold me…”
“No. We weren’t told to kidnap a parent. I need to borrow something I think you might be less willing to lend to me for the sake of a game.”
She read the inflection in my voice and her hand covered her heart. “Not “Carrie”?”
“Please, mom.”
“You know how long I had to stand in line to get his autograph.”
“I know, mom. No one but me will touch it.”
“No one but me will touch it. I guess they wanted you to kidnap a parent after all.” She stepped into the living room to grab the book and placed it inside a large ziplock bag. “Let’s go.”
When we walked into the room, I was the last wife to return. Molly’s husband hadn’t returned yet, so I let out a gasp of air I didn’t realize I had held. The ladies turned to me excitedly. As I stepped toward them with my mother’s hand gripping mine, the door opened behind me.
“Carlo get over here.” The men cheered him on.
My mother and I sprinted to the table where Janine meticulously compared her master list to the items on the table. She even picked up my hard-boiled egg and cracked it. I bit my lip since I had rushed making it a little. I breathed a sigh of relief when she revealed a solid yolk.
“Good job.” She congratulated our team, as my mother held out the final item for her inspection. “You were only missing the horseshoe nail.”
All female eyes turned toward the men as Earl poured over their offerings.
Rose piped up, voicing the question eating at us. “How are you gentlemen doing over there?”
Earl looked up at her with mock disapproval. “Shh. Don’t interrupt the judging.”
He picked up their hard-boiled egg and cracked it. Yolk and white splattered his shoes. He frowned in disapproval and shook his head. “With this mess and the fact that they are missing the book signed by the author, they are short tow items. How did the ladies do?”
“They can cook an egg but none of them had access to the stables, so they win by one.” Janine intoned dramatically.
“Oh come on. Who had a signed book?”
At the question, my mother hugged her plastic clad treasure closer to her chest.
“Oh. Betty ran to mommy.” One of the husbands teased.
My own husband looked down at his hands to try to hide the wry smile on his face. I shook my head at him. He grinned wider and offered a sly wink. My mother turned to me then and patted my arm.
“Thank you for letting me tag along, dear. It is a good daughter who makes time for her mother.” She turned her most disapproving glare on the husband who had spoken. “Call me sometime.”
With her previous book clutched to her chest, she disappeared out the door. Janine watched the door close slowly behind her and then turned back toward the two groups.
“We forgot to tell you what the prize is, aside from knowing you have defeated your spouses at finding a random selection of items as quickly as possible. We managed to arrange for a small party for twelve at the Lizard Lounge.”
The women began jumping up and down excitedly because the Lizard Lounge is famous for its sundae bar with every imaginable topping and then some. The men looked down at the ground sadly because it is also known for its steak and fries platters. The women leaned in to discuss the best day to claim their reward.
“You realize she said party of twelve?” I whispered.
“Who should we take?” Rose grinned.
“That depends, do you think we can get baby-sitters for the kids?” Jane asked.
“My mother is always willing to watch her grandkids,” I replied.
The others giggled and joyfully reported that their mothers and mothers-in-law also wouldn’t mind a little more time snuggling their grandchildren.
“Bless the Nanas, Mimis, and Grandmas,” we all agreed.
Janine leaned in to whisper to our circle. “So who are you going to share your winnings with?”
“Our husbands and you and Earl, of course.” Rose replied as if there had been no question.
“Shall I tell them?” Janine asked.
“Oh, we’d like to do that.”
As we broke up our huddle, our husbands looked at us suspiciously. We sashayed over to them. I wrapped my arms around the neck of my own husband and leaned in to whisper to him.
“I’d like you to be my guest as I celebrate our big win.”
He grinned from ear to ear. A quick glance around our party revealed that everyone had received the good news.
“And now to see when all of the grandparents want a little extra grandchild time.” Rose intoned as we reclaimed our items (except the eggs) and headed for the door.
~~Hope you all have fun plans for the weekend. One last weekend of June to enjoy with your loved ones whether they be spouses or pets or favorite shows…or this blog. You all reread my posts all the time, right?~~
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