My Mother Said...

My mother said I should never go out the house with vinegar on my top.

I cant remember how old I was and my ma doesn't remember this event so cant help but I'm guessing I must be about 6. I was sat in the kitchen eating my dinner. Ma was washing the pots or tidying up or something like that. What I was eating for dinner I cant remember but it was something that I put vinegar on. I spilled some vinegar on my jumper and my ma, told me to go and change my jumper. I couldn't be bothered and insisted that it didn't matter. My ma told me that if I didn't change my jumper, when I went out to play, hungry cats and dogs would smell the vinegar, chase me and try to eat me. Petrified I went upstairs and changed my jumper pronto! I think I was 17 before I was able to use vinegar again, but even now I'm on the look out for hungry cats and dogs!

Lenny St Jean