I’m a choco-aholic. I admit it. I love chocolate, always have and sadly probably always will. And no, not the kind they say might contain healthy ingredients. I love milk chocolate – plain, with something in it…makes no difference.
My kids laugh at me. My older kids remember when I was pregnant with one of the younger siblings and I simply had a craving for chocolate. I drove to the market, meeting them on the way. They had thought I came to pick them up from the school bus, but I didn’t turn the car around, “I need chocolate,” I explained.
Did I write about Chaim needing a medical procedure? I don’t remember. I hope I did. In the end, the hospital told him he needed to bring someone with him. I had told him I would take him but was a bit worried if I was enough – in the end, Elie was able to come along.
When we got home, Chaim came to stay overnight. Even though he was actually fine, I just felt better having him close. And…when we got back – we stopped by my daughter’s house to give her something and somehow I missed the transfer of objects but at the house, Chaim presented me with a surprise from him and from his mother. An entire, full, complete box of individually wrapped, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. Thirty six amazing chocolate bars.
In case the wonder of this gift escapes you, it’s like…it’s like…well, if you don’t get it, you clearly do not understand chocolate! Chaim said it was a gift for me and I did something unusual…I took it – all of it…and squirreled it away on top of my closet behind a winter sweater.
Yesterday, Elie came into my room and remembered the chocolate bars and began searching. One thing the army taught him was how to search a room…it was interesting watching him and soon enough, despite my protestations, he’d found the box. I tried to wrestle it from him; my younger daughter jumped into the fray. We were all laughing so hard – he grabbed a handful – he has big hands. Ten chocolate bars.
This is the Elie I love so much – the one who laughs and smiles with all his being. He ran to his room…I went to my computer and posted the first notification on Facebook:
Another fight, another battle…cost me 10 hershey bars! Chaim, my adopted son, and his mother gave me a case of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars – 36 of them!!!! And I’ve been eating them REALLY REALLY slowly so it doesn’t blow somewhat normal diet all over the place…well….Elie….confiscated 10 of them – locked them in his room. This is WAR! Any chance I’ll win????
I posted the second note a short time later:
I would like it to be known that Elie stole TEN Hershey’s chocolate bars!!!! Yes he did!
When brute strength can’t sway the argument, it’s time to negotiate.
Negotiations continue over the kidnapped Hershey’s bars. Elie is now willing to compromise – he’s offering me the wrappers! Um….
In the battle, Elie’s kippah (yarmulka, skull cap, small circular head covering…the thing on his head) fell and as he ran from the room, it was left behind. A hostage!
I won’t surrender to terrorism – even if he is stronger than me…I’ll…I’ll…I’ll..think of something. I tried bribing him with his kippah, which fell captive to me during the battle. His response…can you imagine…was that he had another. How cold blooded can you get? I’m thinking maybe he’ll ransom one bar for the kippah,but then again, I”m working at a client today and for all I know, he’s gone in and freed the captive kippah. Ah, being a working mother is tough!
It was suggested I break his lock, that I find him a girlfriend and get her to make him return the chocolate. It was even suggested I bake him cookies. But then I realized something. It was time to get devious!
oh…this is priceless – Elie is out helping his father and the air conditioner repair man…back in a minute – Hershey’s here I come? Stay tuned….
I went up to his room to begin searching. I never realized how difficult it was to search a room…and there was always the danger of him coming upstairs. I got Shmulik to help and sure enough…
I am happy to announce that the Hershey’s chocolate bars have been redeemed. They are no longer prisoners. They have been given refuge…now if I could just remember all the places where I squirreled them away!!! It cost me two chocolate bars to Shmulik…but the commission was well earned!
Great Post – I love it. May all your posts be this lighthearted!
Of course, I guess we all appreciate the love and smiles and chocolate more because they stand in contrast to the other ‘heavier’ posts.
I LOVE chocolate – I so admire your self control and efforts at hiding it and making it last. Such a mature attitude! My daughter can do that. She can come back from a trip to the States with a case full of chocolate and make it last a year. She doesn’t even have to hide it from herself!
I, on the other hand, would eat it all within a week and be sick to boot.
My parents bring back a huge sack of Hersehy’s Kisses and dole them out to the great/grandchildren little by little. Once in a while if I am very good they’ll offer one to me too…