Lesson Learned

Back from his five nights

At the band camp

I bombarded my teenage son

With questions-

What did you eat?

Was it hot and humid?

Did you use the sunscreen?

What time did you sleep?

What was the best part?

Did you miss me?

 

He fed me

Bored, forced words 

Half-hearted phrases-

‘Okay’, ‘Not much’, ‘Yeah’,’Kind of’ 

I felt dejected, unloved and sad

 

But the next evening

He lingered in the kitchen

Abuzz with excitement:

You know mama?

I walked

Twenty thousand steps per day

I am so tanned

I can’t even recognize myself

I sparingly ate my snacks

Because I didn’t pack enough

Should’ve listened to you

We, the freshmen had to clean

The toilets each day

Which the seniors smeared with

You know what!

We flipped the teachers’ boats

In the river when canoeing

Please cook the spicy noodles tonight

I’ve missed them so

 

I absorbed each word

Relieved and exultant

And silently imbibed

The priceless

Mom lesson I had learned:

Never force a trickle

Wait for the shower