Shoes in the Silverware, Redux
If you know Boonins, you know that we love to work a joke for as long as possible. We don’t beat a dead horse so much as make the live ones in earshot pray for blessed release. So it should come as no surprise that when we get good fodder like shoes in a silverware drawer, Elisabeth and I are reluctant to let it go.
We got to Roberta’s last Saturday night, had cocktails expertly crafted by Bob, followed by gourmet pizza expertly ordered by Bob, flopped into our beds and slept the sleep of the fatuous. We woke up refreshed, and were enjoying our coffee when Roberta emerged wearing clothes that we hadn’t seen before. Remember, her four-day visit to Petaluma had stretched to two and a half months, and it was odd to see her in clothes that we did not recognize!
She was busy getting herself unpacked, which left Elisabeth and me free to cause trouble. I hatched the idea of putting shoes in the silverware drawer, for her to find after we left, and, in typical fashion, Elisabeth took an amateur theatrical and made it Broadway-ready! Elisabeth hasn’t known Roberta very long, but she correctly determined that unless the shoes were brand-spanking new, Roberta, upon their discovery, would throw out all the silverware and probably hose down the kitchen. So, while Roberta and I were out later, doing errands, Elisabeth made Bob a co-conspirator and they hit the local discount store for some inexpensive footwear. Bob was very careful to park his car in the exact same spot upon return so that Roberta would not know that he had been out. His apparent familiarity with such techniques makes me wonder if his background is sketchier than we think. (And, once again showing an impressive flair for deceit, he noted to Elisabeth that there was also a drawer full of silverware in the dining room, which was rarely opened. So they bought two pair, with the hope that Roberta would not find the second one for months.)
On Monday morning, we all gathered in front of the RV, hugging and saying our goodbyes. Elisabeth ‘forgot’ that she had left her hand lotion behind, and ran back inside to lay the traps. It only took a few hours and Bob was able to film her discovering the shoes. And guess what? They even fit her!
UPDATE: Unfortunately, Roberta discovered the second pair of shoes today, so it was several days, not several months, but we still consider this a pretty good joke. Roberta will open silverware drawers with trepidation for the rest of her life!
