MockMom

Mother’s Absence Forces Son to Wait 20 Minutes for His Toy

 

In Omaha, Nebraska, a child by the name of Max wanted an item that didn’t immediately materialize.

“It was my Optimus Prime. I suddenly felt the urge to play with him, but when I wanted him, he didn’t appear,” said a distraught Max.

He told reporters he knew that his mom had run to the store, leaving his dad, Max and two siblings to fend for themselves for 20 minutes. Although she anticipated him needing most of his Decepticons, his mother failed to predict that Max would want his Optimus Prime toy.

“When I realized I didn’t have everything I needed, I tried to think about it really hard so that it would just show up. Usually, Mommy knows before even I know that I’m going to want something. When Optimus didn’t show up, I had to request him out loud so that someone could hear me.”

Five-year-old Max showed some true problem-solving on this day. After all, 20 minutes was way too long to go without something he needed so desperately.

“Even though I knew it was a waste of time, I was forced to call for Dad. I asked him if he had seen my Optimus Prime, but he looked at me like he felt bad and told me he hadn’t.”

Russ, Max’s dad, had been through domestic unrest such as this before.

He recalls an incredibly long Target trip where his wife was gone for at least 30 minutes. He wanted salsa for his nachos. He had done the hard part alone. He opened the new bag of chips, prepared the cheese, and even heated up the nachos by himself. However, when he opened the refrigerator, the salsa was nowhere in sight.

“It was a time of uncertainty, but I persevered. Since she took our toddler with her to Target, I knew the trip would be an hour or less. My chips just sat there as the cheese got cold.” The tenacity it took to wait patiently for his wife is rare in spouses like Russ.

When she did finally return to her husband, she heard his pleas, marched straight to the refrigerator, opened the door, moved the yogurt out of the way so that the salsa was in plain sight, and saved the day once again.

“How was I supposed to see the jar with the yogurt in the way? That refrigerator is a labyrinth. I have a lot of skills, but x-ray vision and maze running are not at the top of the list.”

The end of Max’s predicament is a happy one. While his mother was pulling out of the driveway, she noticed the Optimus toy was abandoned on the front stoop. She texted her husband right away; however, he didn’t check his phone until 15 minutes later.

Although Russ was thankful, he was not surprised by his wife’s behavior. That day, like many in their marriage, she pulled through as the hero.

“I’m just glad I can play with my toy now,” Max exclaimed. “Thanks, Mom.”

*****

About the Author

Tessa A. Adams is a graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Omaha with a Masters in reading. She is a language arts teacher and is the co-author of the blogwww.familyfootnote.com. She has three children and when she is not mothering or teaching, she is writing. Her work can be found in Fine Lines Literary Journal, Empty Sink Publishing, Route 7 Review, and xoJane Magazine.