Mama Will Never Know

That is what my little five year old daughter thought one day. That memoraable day was the day that the school was giving TB tests. My little one was terrified of anything that she thought might hurt her. My boys weren’t really friendly with a sharp needle, but both of them were little “men” about getting their shots. Not the little blonde haired, turquoise eyed girl. She figured her skin did not need to be punctured at all! Many a time did I have to deal with her screaming on shot day.

I told her that today was the day that the school nurse would be testing all the kids, not just her, for a disease called tuberculosis. It was just going to be a little stick and would not hurt her. The look she gave me worried me a little bit, but she assured me that she would be a big girl and get the test.

When she got home from school I asked her if the test hurt her. She was grinning from ear to ear and attested to the fact that indeed it did not hurt her at all. She even showed me a little red spot on her arm where she got her test.

I was proud of my little one, thinking maybe the worst was over with the “shot” thing.

We were eating supper that evening when the phone rang. It was my little girl’s teacher. She wanted to know what time she got home. I told her right on time and I wanted to know why she asked. The teacher informed me that my precious little angel ducked out of school to avoid getting a “shot.”

When we were through visiting, all I had to do was look at my little girl to understand that she knew who had been on the phone. I explained to her that all she had done was to delay the inevitable. I would go to school with her the next day to make sure she had been tested.

The next thing we visited about was telling fibs, white lies, regular lies and all of these to mama. That was so intricately done. If my memory serves me right, I think she even mixed in with children on the playground and when school was dismissed she went home.

She and I have talked about that day many times she just thought her mama would never never know.