Where are my shoes?: By Cody

While growing up, Trina and Heather did so much to keep the house clean. They were both hard workers, and tried to get the rest of us to clean up after ourselves. I remember that Heather tried for a long time to get me to pick up my shoes. In an effort to help me, Heather started hiding my shoes, and then she would not give them back unless I did a job. On one occasion, Heather had gone off to High School. I searched and searched for my shoes. I checked the regular places like the fire place, coat closet, and the bathroom cupboards, but I could not find them. Late for school, I finally told mom that I had left my shoes out and that Heather had hidden them. With this information, mom decided to call Heather at the High School. When Heather got on the phone she asked mom if she could speak with me. So, mom handed me the phone, and then Heather said, “Cody have you done a job?” I responded, “No.” Then Heather said, “Cody, I’m not going to tell you where your shoes are until you do a job. So, call back after you have done a job!” When I hung up the phone, I was in shock. I thought for sure that she would give in and tell me where my shoes were. When I told mom what Heather had said, she looked at me, shrugged her shoulders and said, “I guess you better do a job.” Disappointed, I vacuumed the living room and then had mom call the High School a second time. When Heather answered the phone, she again wanted to speak with me. She again said, “Cody did you do a job?” I then told her that I had vacuumed the living room. To this she responded, “Good, now stop leaving your shoes out!” She then proceeded to tell me where I could find my shoes.

Thanks to Heather, my wife never has to pick up my shoes. I learned my lesson well.

Disclaimer: I always felt a since of victory when I found my shoes and hence didn’t have to do a job to get them back. I remember on one occasion Heather saw that I had found my shoes and made me do a job anyway.