1990
De Paul University
Writing from the Inside
Teacher: Zoe Keithley
The Grape Juice Revenge
It’s a sunny afternoon. I’m working on the income tax at the dining room table. Jen is coloring in her coloring book at the same table.
“Mom, I want you to color with me”. She says.
“I will color with you when I finish these taxes”. I say.
“Mom it is taking you all day to do the taxes”. She says with impatience.
“I know dear, but it’s a lot of work to figure out all this stuff”. I say knowing that she cannot really understand but compelled to respond to her.
Jen leaves the table for who knows where. I continue to work, looking forward to coloring.
Suddenly I look up and see her standing beside me. She has her mouth closed, the cheeks are filled out as if you held your lips tightly closed and blew air in to fill out the cheeks. I just say, “Hi”, and go on about my business with the taxes – never suspecting her plan.
Moments later she is again standing beside me, but now her lips are normal. I say, “Jen, I’m really trying to get these done and I can get done faster if you will leave me alone so I can concentrate”.
Eventually, I finish the taxes. I get up to look for Jen to tell her and I see my new orange living room chair has a big stain on the middle of the cushion that you sit on. The stain is a purple color. Jen has been drinking grape juice! Oh my God, that brat! She held it in her mouth and did it on purpose because I wasn’t done with the taxes soon enough for her. I am so angry I know that I better not talk to her, look at her, I better just send her to her room.
I see her coming up the stairs from the rec room. “Go to your room and do not come out. I am so angry with you; you better go right now”! I followed her to her room. She sits on the bed. I lifted her up and smacked her butt 3 times saying, “That was a very mean thing to do – it was VERY mean”.
I leave the room, shut the door, and proceed to the kitchen to get a cold rag to put on the grape juice stain. Jen spends the rest of the evening in her room singing songs and talking to her dolls. She would not let me know that she was at all upset about having to stay in her room. Some would never believe that a 3-year-old could premeditate something like this to get back at a mom who would not pay attention to her right when she wanted her to. I believe it.