MOTHER LODE OF ROCKS

I was knocking on our front door with my foot hoping someone would come open it for me. “Hello? Anybody?” I called as I tapped the door one more time, trying my best to stay out of the rain.

My son Alex opened it. “Did you forget your key?”

“No.” I held up my muddy hands. “But guess what I just found a ton of?” I was headed for the kitchen.

“Rocks?” Alex asked as he followed me to the sink.

“How did you know?” I was surprised that he'd get it on the first guess.

“I can tell by the big smile on your face.” He nodded to my muddy hands. “I've never seen someone so happy to be covered in dirt.” he laughed as he pointed to the sleeves of my coat, also covered in mud.

“I'll throw it in the wash later.” I said as I dried my hands on a towel. “Can you help unload the car with me?”

“Can't the rocks wait until it stops raining?” he looked out the window.

“Not the rocks.” I grabbed the roll of paper towels and headed for the front door. “I went to the grocery store and I didn't want to get the bags all muddy.” I held up the paper towels. “I've got mud all over the steering wheel and door.”

He laughed as he flipped the hood of his sweatshirt on his head. “So where did you find all the rocks?”

“I was on my way to the store when I saw someone dumping a wheelbarrow filled with them!”

I jogged out to the car with him and climbed in my front seat while Alex began loading his arms with the bags. “Can you believe it?” I began wiping down my steering wheel. “A whole wheelbarrow, loaded with them!” I looked back at Alex and smiled. “How lucky am I!”

Alex grabbed the last bag and closed the door just as I was finished wiping down my door. “I hope I got everything I needed at the store.” I jogged ahead of him to open the door. “I was so worried someone was going to get the rocks before me that I did a pretty quick shopping trip.” I began scanning the bags as Alex put them on the counter. “I think I got everything.”

“So did the guy at the house see you loading his rocks into your car in the middle of a downpour?” Alex grabbed a bag of chips and began eating.

“Oh, he helped me pick through the pile to get the biggest ones and helped me load them in!” I began putting the groceries away.

Alex sighed then closed his eyes and shook his head. “Great. That's just great.”

“What?” I was confused. “He was a really nice guy. They just moved in and he's clearing out some of the land for a garden next spring.”

“Did you tell him you live in the neighborhood?” Alex didn't sound thrilled.

“Of course I did. I told him what a great neighborhood it is.”

Alex laughed. “You know he went right into the house and told his family that there's a crazy rock lady that lives around the corner from them.”

“I'm not crazy!” I cried. “I told him all about the rock path I'm making! He was very nice.”

Alex looked at the mud on my sleeves. “I'm telling you he'll be talking about the crazy rock lady that showed up in a downpour and loaded her car with his worthless rocks.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “They're not worthless to me.”

That's when my husband Steven walked in. “What's up?”

“Mom's got a car load of rocks again.”

“Oh great! I'll help you unload them when it stops raining.”

I looked over at Alex and smiled. “See. He gets me.”