There it stuck out, thrust into the ground, silver and expensive looking. I dare not grab it. It was mocking me, probably placed by a clown of a child. It wasn’ t clever, not in the least. I hope that no one really put it there. That they were mature enough to have the decency. Maybe it fell out of a wandering child’s lunch box on their way to school, though not many people cut through the forest, I thought. But the careful placing made me think other wise. Even so, it still would have been cursed. The eating utensil was placed between a fork in the road. A bad sign!!! or at least according to my crazy grandmother. She was an old hoot who believed in many superstitions that didn’t make remotely any sense; like not lighting a candle if a bee was once in that room, or to never dot the “i’ s” on a letter if you don’t know the person you’re sending it too, or even like not wearing a watch after midnight. Among these, and the worst of them all she would say, if I was to ever come upon a fork in the road and an actual fork( like the fork you eat with) was placed between the roads.
I looked at the fork that was jutting out of the ground. It was like an arm reaching for the sky. What would an arm want in the sky, much less a fork? It’s silver coating sparkled in the sunlight. It shouldn't have been sunny, this was a bad sign! The fact that it wasn’t raining or that tornadoes weren’t striking meant I still had to face my bad luck. I shook my head in distaste. I actually was falling for grandma’s superstitions. I didn’t know what to do. Grandma said if I was to ever encounter this problem, I should never go back; the bad luck would be three times worse...Worse than what, I don’t know. If I were to grab the fork, I might as well broke a thousand mirrors that the bad luck would have been passed down to my grandchildren. The only choice I had was to choose the right road. A fifty percent chance of going home safely or a fifty percent chance of having bad luck. How bad of luck would it be? Probably bearable stuff; something only kids would cry about.
So which road was the right road? I wanted to take the left, that was the way to my house, but the superstition people/creators probably expected that so cursed the left road. So should I go right? Unless the superstition people/creators planned ahead and knew I would think this so they cursed the right road? But what if I was not caring enough and just went through the left road? I wouldn’t be cursed then, would I? The right road does fall into a pun of mine “the right road is the right road!” I chuckled for a bit then came back to the senses. I was in a bit of a pickle here. I looked down both roads and both couldn’t be anymore the same. Boring and infested with bushes. But then I jumped with almost sheer amazement! Why haven’t I thought of this before?!? I’ll use a coin to choose my road. I rummaged through my pant pockets and pulled out a penny. Good enough. I put my hand into a fist and careful placed the penny on my thumb. Heads would be the left road and tails would be the right road. Or should heads be the right road and tails be the left road? I was stumped but then shook my head. The thought made my head near explode. Heads would be the right road and tails would be the left road. I then flicked my thumb and the penny more like rolled of my fingers than being tossed into the air. I wasn’t very good at flipping coins. Never got how people could do it. At a young age as I was, I noted that that should be on my bucket list, whatever that was. I looked down at the penny on the ground. Heads. I looked down the right road and now it felt more like a trail filled with landmines. I went left.
***
I went through my home door safe and sound. Superstition and bad luck my butt! I was never really worried in the first place. I set down my school bag near the door and walked through the house. There was an awful stench plaguing the air; it nearly burned my nostrils. Suddenly my grandma pops out of the kitchen walkway.
“Your parents aren’t home, some anniversary or something like that.”
I tried to look around her to take a peek into the kitchen. My heart was pounding against my chest. My heart even wanted to escape for my worst fear just might be true!
“ So who’s gonna cook dinner?” I wished with all my might that this was not my bad luck, anything but this! I’ll take a thousand years of bad luck if was just never to encounter this AGAIN!
“Me, silly! I’m making my famous spinach and turnip stew mixed with prunes!”
My face fell! I almost began throwing up early.
“It’ll help ward of them napkin thieves!”