What's a girl to do with a mother who's a health nut?
CREAM IN THE MIDDLE
Maggie’s mom was weird. She fixed sandwiches with brown bread, not white. She baked oatmeal cookies and never bought chocolate Oreo cookies with cream in the middle. And Maggie always found an apple or orange in her lunch sack instead of pudding or a Twinkie.
“Your mom is weird,” said Jessica, peering into Maggie’s lunch sack. “But I love her oatmeal cookies. Want to trade?”
“Sure,” said Maggie, gladly handing Jessica her oatmeal cookie. Maggie sighed with delight as she bit into Jessica’s Oreo. How she wished her mom was more normal, like Jessica’s mom.
“And here’s your candy bar,” continued Jessica. “You owe me 60 cents.”
Maggie gave Jessica the money, slipping the bar into her pocket.
“Usually I eat them on my way home from school,” she told Jessica. “That way I can dump the wrapper in a trash can before I get to my house. This is putting a hole in my allowance, but it’s worth it.”
“I feel sorry for you,” said Jessica. “I can eat candy in front of my mom. What did you have for dinner last night?”
“Broiled fish and stir-fried vegetables,” Maggie muttered grumpily.
“That’s too bad,” said Jessica, shaking her head sympathetically. “We had pizza last night and hot dogs and french fries the night before.”
“See what I mean? And that’s not the worst of it. Since my five-year-old brother Colton got a detective kit for his birthday last week, he’s been prowling around my room looking for candy bars. Then Mr. Cool Detective shows the “evidence” to Mom.
“How terrible,” said Jessica. “But cheer up. My birthday slumber party is this Friday, and we’re having lots of treats.”
“I can’t wait,” said Maggie. “It will be an oasis in the desert for me.”
When Maggie came home from school that day, she had a nasty surprise waiting for her.
“I’m home, Mom,” she cried, throwing her coat on a kitchen chair.
Then she noticed that the door of her room was slowly opening. Colton appeared, his mouth smudged with chocolate and a crumpled candy wrapper in his hand.
“Mom….” he began.
“Shut up, Colton,” cried Maggie, running toward the husky boy and placing her hands over his mouth. She wondered if detectives could be bribed.
But Colton wrenched himself free and dove between Maggie’s legs, holding out the candy wrapper like a prize.
Just then Maggie’s Mom walked through the kitchen door.
“Mom, look what I found under Maggie’s bed.”
“Maggie Houston, you’ve been sneaking candy bars again. Where did you get this one?”
“From Jessica at school, Mom. We traded at lunch.” This was not exactly the truth, but Maggie was desperate. She glared at Colton. What a brat.
“I don’t want you hiding candy bars any more, Maggie, when I’m trying to feed you healthful food.”
“Okay, Mom,” Maggie muttered. But as soon as Mom’s back was turned, Maggie put her hands around her neck to show Colton what she would do to him if she had the chance.
“Good detectives don’t eat the evidence,” she reminded him.
Colton just belched.
On Friday Maggie excitedly stuffed her toothbrush and pajamas into her backpack, grabbed her pillow and headed out the door. She couldn’t wait, and dinner was at 5:00 o’clock sharp.
“Don’t eat too much junk food, Maggie,” her mother warned her.
“I won’t, Mom,” replied Maggie, crossing her fingers behind her back.
At Jessica’s party, Maggie demolished three large pieces of pizza oozing with cheese, tomato sauce and pepperoni. For dessert there was chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream with candy sprinkles on the top, and Maggie had two helpings. She had never felt so full.
Then the girls played charades and had a three-legged race. All the while Maggie’s stomach was rumbling and grumbling. And later in the evening, when the girls were watching T.V., Maggie could only stuff down three handfuls of buttered popcorn before she felt like throwing up.
I’m not used to this kind of food, Maggie thought.
By the time a pillow fight broke out after midnight, Maggie sat it out, curled up like a ball in the corner.
“What’s the matter, Maggie?” Jessica whispered in her ear. “You look sort of green.”
Maggie didn’t want to admit to her friend that the food had done her in.
“It must be the flu,” she said. “I’d better call my mom.”
Luckily her mother, who she had to wake up, came right away.
“What’s wrong, Maggie?” Mom asked when they were in the car.
“I’ve got the flu, I think.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t something you ate?” Mom prodded gently.
“Oh, no,” said Maggie emphatically. “The food was terrific.”
Maggie’s stomach hurt all night. The next day all she could manage was some chicken soup, which tasted so good to her.
“You know,” Maggie admitted to her mom, “if I just saw something sweet right now, I’d get sick.”
By afternoon, an apple from the fruit bowl Mom kept on the kitchen table sounded good. Maggie grabbed it and was walking back to her bedroom when Colton appeared.
“What have you got in your hand?” he asked her suspiciously.
“None of your business,” Maggie snapped, wrapping both of her hands around the apple.
“I’ll bet it’s candy,” he cried.
Maggie made a face at him.
“Mom, Maggie’s got candy in her hand.”
Mom walked by, carrying an armful of wash.
“It’s an apple, Mom. See?” said Maggie, showing her mother the piece of fruit.
“Good girl,” said Mom. “Colton, how many times have I told you not to spy on your sister.”
Colton slunk off to his room, while Maggie clenched in hands above her head in a salute of victory.
“I guess eating smart does pay,” she giggled.
Maybe you could have had big ol' Jessica having to pause mid-party to have her insulin injection! Your story is timely, given the latest news that Type two diabetes, a one-time adult disease, is rife among obese children. Cheers, Jim from Oz (a 60 yr old type-2 diabetic who wishes to hell his Mom hadn't started him on a stuff-your-face-for-life campaign.
The multiple award winning, 5 Star story of a baby penguin who searches the world to find the woman that saved his life. A wonderful novel with a Christmas feel. Loved by all 4 - 94. Novel or E-book
