I arrived in the staffroom on Tuesday and noticed this little guy in my pigeon hole. It was a thoughtful gift from my teaching buddy, Tenielle (and if you think I haven’t made a hundred and one unwelcome, lame and cheesy jokes about her and I being the "Captain and Tenielle", then you’d be wrong).
Now whilst I thought it was a kind-hearted gesture, it also reminded me I needed to pick up Easter eggs for my class so off to the shopping centre I hopped on Tuesday afternoon and purchased this lot for a cool fifty bucks or so.
Migraine territory! |
Buying eggs for twenty-three kids is impossible to do on the cheap and it made me a teeny bit cranky.
I also bought a Ferrero Rocher rabbit for Tenielle, one for my teacher aide and a spare in case I’d forgotten anyone.
If there’s one thing I hate it’s being caught short when you receive something and you've nothing to give back and I really did feel there was someone else I should be buying an egg for. It was on the tip of my tongue.
So imagine my extreme annoyance when I arrived at work on Wednesday and there was this sitting in my pigeon hole.
Ferrero Rocher |
The note said, “Thanks for your love, support and the laughs every day”, no name provided.
“Who the fudge left this here?” I grumped loudly, looking around the staff room cagily. “I did my Easter shopping yesterday and now I’ll have to fudging well go back again.”
Kyles sat at the table looking coy. “Was it you?” I demanded.
“Maybe… maybe I’m sorry I did now.”
“Here take this then,” I fished around in the bag and gave her my spare rabbit (which was exactly the same bloody type as the one she’d gifted me).
“Thanks,” she grinned.
“You realise that’s my spare rabbit. And I’ll have to leave the one you gave me in my pigeon hole or Tenielle will think I’ve regifted the same egg you gave me. Shite! What a mess!”
Lee-lee walked in the staffroom door and I spun around on her, “I hope you’re not giving me an Easter egg because I have no spares,” I barked.
“Not that I know of,” she answered timidly.
O’Reilly walked in soon after. “You weren’t planning on giving me an Easter egg were you?” I challenged him.
“Not if you don’t want me to Pinky,” he replied politely. “I’ll just eat the one I bought for you myself. It’s all good.”
“Fine,” I said. “Enjoy it.”
That afternoon the school cleaner Judy, popped her head in my room to wish me a happy Easter and give me a bag of chocolate eggs for my class. She also showed me the pretty Easter card (in the shape of a chicken and everything) Tenielle’s class had made and the charming bag of choccy eggs which accompanied said card.
I was going to explain to Judy that I’d given her (spare) egg away to fudging Kyles and I was devastated I had nothing to give her but I didn’t because… well she already thinks I’m a bit strange.
The moral of the story is: Don’t bother giving me unexpected Easter eggs because I don’t want them thank you unless you give me at least two shopping day's notice.
Happy Easter and may peace and generosity of spirit find you and your loved ones.
P.S. Kyles has known me for nearly ten years and is well aware I don't eat chocolate so I can only presume her ulterior motive was to get a chocolate rabbit in return so she could gobble it down. I cannot believe the lengths some people will go to for chocolate; especially her writing that very corny note which was clearly subterfuge.