EASTER SURPRISE
I think of many things when Easter is in the air: springtime, tulips, chocolate bunnies, and jellybeans. Memories flow a rainbow of color when I remember dying Easter eggs at home. I was in the first grade, standing on a chair, watching eggs in the pan tumble in hot waves. Mom rinsed them off in cold water, and we waited forever to have them be cool enough to touch.
Newspaper was spread on the table; it was not time for our Easter tablecloth. There was a magic crayon to draw pictures on the eggs, cups full of colored water, and a wire loop looking like a bubble blower to dip into the dye. We handled each shell gently, not to crack them. They were delicate as they were eggs after all!
We drew designs with the magic crayon, then put an egg into the wire loop, dipping it into the color. Some eggs were dipped in two or three colors, and looked oh-so-pretty.
The next day, I went to school, and had a surprise in my sack lunch. A beautiful colored egg with my name on it. The egg was so special, I decided to save it to eat at home with Mom. When I got home, we excitedly sat at the table to share my lunch egg. I peeled the shell off, broke it open, and yellow yolk dripped onto the plate. It was raw in the middle.
Mom was glad I had brought the egg back home. I was happy too, because we boiled more eggs to color. I can’t have a hardboiled egg without thinking of the egg with my name on it. So pretty on the outside, with a bright yellow surprise in the middle.
April Ryan is a lifelong Washington resident with stories and poems for all seasons and all challenges!
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