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The Misadventures of Mrs. B: The Red Dress Club: Until Someday Comes

Cook. Writer. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Klutz.

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Red Dress Club: Until Someday Comes

Another post focused on writing instead of food! Weird, huh? Today I'm happy to once again be participating in The Red Dress Club's weekly writing meme.  Thanks for all of the wonderful responses last week - I wasn't as "social" as I would have liked to be, but that's because we were out of town.  This weekend watch out - I'm gonna be all up in y'all's business.


Today's prompt: Write about finding a lost article of clothing in the back of a drawer or closet.  How was it found, what is it, why is it so meaningful?




Saturday. Laundry day. I find it easiest to just barrel through as fast as I can, single-minded, before inertia sets in and I “discover” a movie on TV that I’ve seen a million times but need to watch just…once…more.  Before you know it hours have passed and I’ve sat through yet another “Rocky” marathon with nothing but an overflowing hamper to show for it. Gotta stay focused.


I finish matching up what seems like a million pairs of socks and open the drawer to dump them in when I see it.  A small lump of light blue fabric in the back corner.  How long has it been there? Months? Years? I don’t even remember exactly when it ended up in my possession, but I’ve kept it all this time.


I reach for it and pull it out, smiling sheepishly to myself.  Yes, now I remember.  I’d been visiting one of my oldest friends, a girl I’d gone through high school with. She was the first of my girlfriends from that time of my life to have a baby. Talk about a shock – seeing the girl you giggled with late into the night, who you sat around and dreamed up your fantasy wedding with and swooned over Antonio Banderas with (you know, back when he was still hot) now sporting a baby on her shoulder and spit-up stains down her back.


At the time of my visit she had recently given birth to her second little boy.  Little guy #1 was running around with the sort of boundless energy all toddlers have and I was playing games with him. The big event that afternoon was “hiding” an article in plain view for him to “find” it and return it to me. Amazing how the simplest games can entertain a child for hours.


When I got home that night I was searching for something in my purse and I found it. A little present my buddy had given me.  I'd left my bag sitting wide open on the floor and he’d evidently gotten it into his head to hide something for me to find but then forgot all about it. A tiny pair of his baby brother’s socks.


A few years later I examine those socks once again. So small. I hold them up to my nose and breathe deep. They still have that glorious scent of extra gentle detergent – fainter now, but there nonetheless. I run my thumb over the unfathomably soft cotton and I smile to myself.


Why did I keep them? Why did I tuck them safely into the back of my own sock drawer and never tell a soul about them, not even my husband? I don’t know for sure.


Okay, that’s a lie. My heart knows better. I told myself that I was saving them for “someday”. For the day my own little baby would need them. Until then they would stay a secret, an ever-present symbol of my heart’s desire. I had forgotten about their existence but not about what they stood for.


For now I will put my little treasure back in its place and shut the drawer. There it will stay until someday comes.


 Thanks for reading! Any and all constructive criticism is welcome.  For the record, the specifics of the story are fictional - the only socks in my drawer are mine (well, maybe there's a pair of my husband's in there, too...).

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23 Comments:

Anonymous Brandie@thecountrycook said...

What a fantastic writer you are! Beautiful story. And don't let go of those socks...

February 18, 2011 at 10:43 AM

 
Blogger Kir said...

Ok, it was awesome. (and just for the record IF you are the kind of woman who watches Rocky marathons I want to be your best friend,,,)
and every single word just jumped off the page. I loved the imagery.

February 18, 2011 at 10:43 AM

 
Blogger MrsJenB said...

For the record, YES, I am the kind of woman who watches Rocky marathons. I can pretty much quote every movie except #5, which I like to forget exists.

Philly born and bred, Rocky's my man. ;-)

February 18, 2011 at 10:49 AM

 
Blogger viewfromdownhere said...

What a cute story! Very well written!

February 18, 2011 at 12:37 PM

 
Anonymous The Flying Chalupa said...

I love finding hidden treasures like that - evoking memories for you to sift through. The story allowed us to remember with you - job well done.

February 18, 2011 at 1:58 PM

 
Blogger Shell said...

Okay, now I'm laughing about you wanting to forget that Rocky 5 exists....

February 18, 2011 at 2:19 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sweet, poignant story. Very nicely done! Loved it.

February 18, 2011 at 2:51 PM

 
Blogger Jennifer said...

I can relate to this. I babysat for my cousin once and one of the tiny baby hats somehow got left behind. I kept it for the longest time and would rub it in my hand and sniff in the fragrance. Hoping.

February 18, 2011 at 3:06 PM

 
Anonymous Melanie said...

Sweet story! Felt so genuine. You're such a good storyteller and I love your narrative voice. I would say this story melted my heart - as such stories are meant to do. Nicely done. :-))

February 18, 2011 at 3:51 PM

 
Blogger Sonora said...

I know what you mean about the movies. There are several I just can't help watching. Overboard and never been kissed are two of them. I have seen them millions of times already, but I still love them.
It is weird seeing your childhood friends grow up and have kids. There is something so wonderful and special about those tiny little clothes.

February 18, 2011 at 4:08 PM

 
Blogger Julie S. said...

I love this post! Very, very great writing!

February 18, 2011 at 4:55 PM

 
Blogger So Who Is The Crayon Wrangler? said...

Beautifully written with such amazing humor thrown into such a sweet story. Well done. I loved it!

February 18, 2011 at 6:41 PM

 
Blogger Wantapeanut said...

Very sweet piece. Makes me want to know more about the character!

February 18, 2011 at 6:43 PM

 
Blogger Cheryl said...

This is so, so sweet! I kind of wanted it to be true. I actually thought it was, since you referred to the child at Little Guy #1 like bloggers do.

February 18, 2011 at 7:57 PM

 
Blogger Katie @ This Chick Cooks said...

This is such a sweet story. I loved it :)

February 18, 2011 at 8:36 PM

 
Blogger Ginny Marie said...

Oh, baby socks! I love baby socks. And I love that you keep them hidden away in your sock drawer. (They're in there, I just know it!)

February 18, 2011 at 9:17 PM

 
Blogger Lapiz de la Guerra said...

I was right there with you through the whole thing! I love how you captured each of your moments succinctly and put the reader in those places. This was a good "tug your heartstrings" story without making you bawl your eyes out (I'm all out of waterproof mascara...girl's got her priorities you know ;o)

And Antonio Banderas is STILL hot!

February 18, 2011 at 10:02 PM

 
Anonymous Jennifer said...

This piece had the feel of laundry, warm and cozy and kind of zen like, maybe I'm projecting, since laundry can be zen like for me. There was also an effortless sweetness to this because I'm sure he hid his brothers socks, in what I'm sure seemed like plain sight to him.

And in defense of Mr. Banderas, I'd like to put it out there that for a man his age, he's still hot.

February 19, 2011 at 5:47 PM

 
Blogger Valerie Boersma said...

This was so sweet. It brought back memories of the time right before my daughter was born. I was so scared, and so full of wonder too. I remember looking at a tiny pair of socks and being amazed that there could be feetsmall enough to fit inside.
I'm amazed now at how fast those feet grow up:)
Wonderful writing!!

February 19, 2011 at 6:32 PM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

The getting distracted part reminds me of when I try to do laundry! That's so sweet about the socks!

February 19, 2011 at 9:24 PM

 
Blogger Jessica said...

What a sweet piece, I loved it, you carried me right through it, from Rocky to baby socks.

February 20, 2011 at 8:01 AM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

Great piece! I really thought it was true and my heart broke just a tiny bit for you because I assumed there was something else behind it (I have a tendency to read too deeply into things -- bit of a curse). So I'm glad it was just a story.

February 21, 2011 at 2:44 AM

 
Blogger Erin said...

This is so sweet, and I know so many people can relate!

February 21, 2011 at 1:38 PM

 

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