I didn't even leave the house, which is ODD for me on a Sunday. I laid around in bed all day and read this book:
Sex.Lies.Murder.Fame. by Lolita Files. This book got passed around at work. It was said to be "too deep", with all the big vocabulary words, etc. I screamed "You broads have Ph.Ds! You should be able to read and comprehend anything!" Well, they said they didn't understand it, and it was passed on to me. I didn't mean to get caught up in it but it is a very deep book. It is not your average sister girl book, if that's what you dig. And right now, per my writing workshop teacher, I am not supposed to be reading my usual fare (*LadyLee doing her best not to say whatchutalkinboutWillis*). It is centered on some psychotic white folks, which fits the bill just fine. So I perused this book, and let's just say I am 80% done, and have about 75 weird vocabulary words to look up.
Yeah, it's that type of book...
Anyway, LAST Easter, Easter 2006, was a funny Easter... Check out my little recap.
AN EASTER STORY.
So, last year, April 2006 (was Easter in April?), I didn't have any plans. I usually don't go to church on Holidays, because er'body and there mamas are up in that place. So I celebrate at home.
But last Easter I didn't have plans either, until Ol' Mean Ass Cynthia, my coworker and bootleg "Work-for-Free" manuscript editor, quietly eased up behind me in my cubicle and threw an Ebony Magazine on my desk. The magazine was open to a recipe for Sweet Potato Cheesecake.
"Lee... make this," she ordered, pointing to the recipe.
*LadyLee has COMPLETE conniption fit*
"Dang, Man! Dang Man! Back up off me! Back up off me!! I ain't makin' jack! Leave me alone!!!!"
She rolled her eyes in the usual manner and glided away.
Negroes LOVE to run up on me about a recipe. They know that I'm going to GO OFF... but I will probably end up doing it, especially if it is interesting.
Anyway, after I finished tripping out, and Ol' Mean Ass Cynthia had long gone, I picked up the magazine and perused the recipe. It looked easy enough. So I yelled over the cubicles for her to "Come here!". I told her that I would make the sweet potato cheesecake, but the only stipulation was that I wanted a piece of it. She was cool with that. She was going to come over for Easter and get it. I decided that I might as well make a day out of it and throw some meat on the grill, etc.
We had a plan...
However...
As she was walking away from my cubicle area, she yelled over her shoulder...
"And make my baby some Easter Eggs!"
This caused another small temper tantrum. I think I may have even swiped a few papers from my desk and turned a quite a few things over. Yep, pissed me off. (I have anger management isshas, you see.)
But I agreed to do it, even though I hadn't dipped hard-boiled eggs into colored water since my brother was a child.
This whole thing about the baby...
Ol' Mean Ass Cynthia has been on me to do a post on her baby Chayse. Chayse is 3 years old now, and was 2 at the time of the events in this post...
But what is a trip is tha my coworker
I remember when Ol' Mean Ass Cynthia, who I didn't know very well, and who is also an UNUSUALLY quiet AND mean person (way moreso than myself), said she was pregnant. She got bigger and bigger and bigger.
I never wondered who the baby's father was. I don't get caught up in work politics. They better get my paycheck together and keep it moving. That's really all I care about, you see.
One of my coworkers and Hen-Dog made me sit down in a chair one sunny day, and they told me that... Hen-Dog was Ol' Mean Ass Cynthia baby's daddy. Of course, I thought it was a joke. It took me a few hours to believe them. I believed it more when I saw Hen running around to doctors appointments, etc...
They were creeping around. And what's funny, I ran into them at a Sprint store one day, and didn't even put 2 and 2 together. Just talked to them for a minute, and kept it moving. (Yes, I am dense).
All I know... Ol' Mean Ass Cynthia, I salute you, gal! You are one stealth undercover broad!!! That's all I gots to say about THAT!! LOL!!
Anyway, you have the history of the baby...
And for that Easter, I was to make some Easter Eggs for the baby. That was cool.
Easter 2006 arrives. I'd barbecued it up, man! We had chicken wings and steak!
And I'd made that doggone Sweet Potato Cheesecake.
It looks good, don't it? And it WAS good! Check out the side view:
I was like... you know, this recipe wasn't all that bad. (I had to do the bootleg, and throw some chopped pecans on top of it. Recipe didn't call for that!) Took me about an hour to prep everything. I was thinking... "I can make this for family get-togethers, book club functions..."
(Sidenote: Haven't made that cheesecake since then. Don't even know where the recipe is. I still have my springform pan, though!)
Moving right along.
I made the easter eggs. That was weird, because like I said, I haven't made them in awhile. I managed to crank out a dozen colorful eggs... I even wrote Chayse's name on them with that funky wax crayon that's included in the Paas kit.
Well, Hen-Dog, Ol Mean Ass Cynthia, and Chayse came over. We had dinner -chicken, steak, string beans, salad, baked potatoes, and sweet tea- and then decided to do an Easter egg hunt for Chayse out in my front yard.
"Hen-Dog, go hide the eggs," I said.
"I'm not hiding eggs. Chayse don't care. She don't know what to do. She's too young to remember something like that."
Now, both me and Cynthia looked at Hen like he'd been smoking crack or something. We argued back and forth about this. Hen was determined not to hide eggs. He was being a busta.
So I decided to hide the eggs myself.
"Cynthia... where is Chayse's Easter basket?"
Cynthia gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look. "Uh, I didn't bring it."
Meanwhile, Chayse is looking at all of us. She is eager to get things started.
"Cynthia, how you not gonna have a doggone Easter basket for her? What is wrong with you?"
Cynthia shrugged. "She has some baskets at home. I just forgot to bring one!"
Man, I wanted to pimp slap the both of them. They better be GLAD I didn't call DFACS.
I looked around my kitchen for something that Chayse could use to hold the eggs that she would find on her easter egg hunt. All I could came up with was an aluminum pan. Chayse didn't care. She grabbed it out of my hand, and was ready to go.
Meanwhile, Hen was still whining. "I don't know why ya'll wanna hide eggs for her. She too young to remember anything."
"Shut up, Hen!"
I went outside and hid the eggs. I didn't hide them, but laid them out in plain view around the porch and in potted plant that was next to the front door.
Hen-Dog was still whining.
We ignored him. Chayse went outside and started looking around.
Poor thing... she didn't have a colorful easter basket. Only a lone aluminum pan.
But she didn't seem to care. She was working it out!
She was VERY excited about her eggs!!! Very excited!
"Miss LadyLee!! Miss LadyLee!!"
I have eggs!!Look at my eggs! I HAVE EGGS!!" she screeched with waaaay too much glee.
Of course this all shocked the Infamous Hen-Dog. He stood in my doorway, and watched the 5 minute easter egg hunt. He stopped his whining. He didn't realize that Chayse would be so excited.
Gee, I'm sure that he felt pretty stupid right about then. Really though.
Dude even had the nerve to say... "Hey LadyLee, let me hold some of them eggs so I can hide some for her tomorrow."
I went off. "I ain't giving you NOTHING, man. You shoulda got out here and hid that baby's eggs!!!"
We eventually went back into the house. Chayse was still excited. She walked around my kitchen holding that pan of eggs like it was a pot of gold, still screaming "I have eggs!"
She even counted them for her Daddy.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 18, 13".
(Yeah, she still had to work on her counting. It's been a year, and she is much better now.)
Well we had cheesecake, and they all headed back down the street to Hen's house.
Not bad for an Easter, hunh!! (Except for the aluminum pan.)
So that is my Easter Story... A bit away from the norm, but hope you enjoyed it...
And I hope you had a HAPPY EASTER:) !!!
I used to love Easter. All the pretty dresses and hiding and finding stuff.
ReplyDeleteShe colored the eggs herself this Easter. She even had a basket...although the handle was missing. I'm really thankful that you went through all the trouble for her--she still talks about those eggs. You were a part of what will be one of our fondest memories. Thanks much.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cutie pie she is!
ReplyDeleteSigh, my kids are too old for baskets and easter egg hunts.