Bye, Bye

Flash Fiction

Bye, Bye

“See ya later allegator!” yelled Jake from the doorway.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” asked his mother, standing next to the sink, about to start doing the morning dishes.

Jake checked himself, clothes, shoes, (socks too since he got scolded yesterday for not wearing any socks) his backpack, lunch, a sweater in the backpack, just in case…)

“I don’t think so…” he said questioningly.

“Well, I do…” Mom said, “Think again…”

Jake rechecked himself, then said, “my new pencils!” and ran up to get them. Coming back he tried again.

“See ya later allegator!”

“Still… something?” Mom asked.

“I don’t think so, I have my new pencils, my school stuff, clothes on, shoes and socks… OH! Brush my teeth!” Off he ran.

Coming back in slowly, he said, “I did brush my teeth already…”

“I know,” Mom said.

“Well, I can’t think of anything else. I have my school stuff, my lunch, my snack and two drinks. I have all my clothes on correctly, even socks… A sweater in case it gets cool out… what else is there?” he said, sounding defeated.

“Your mother,” she said. “The person who you were born to, who took care of you for nine years so far, who feeds you and keeps you warm and buys you stuff all the time. Not an allegator, but a mother!”

“Oh Mom! You scared me to death! I thought I lost something!”

“No, it was me who lost something, where’s my hug and kiss goodbye?”

Rushing over, he hugged her tight and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You’re right!” he said, “You are the most important thing in my life! I will not forget again!

And he didn’t. He gave her, her last kiss when she was ninety-five, and it still made her smile.