Micah's Eggs

Micah's family was getting chickens. He could hardly sleep. In the morning, Mama gave him and his two nephews Nathan and Brian, the job of feeding them. Nathan and Brian were just a little younger and just a little older than him. Micah felt proud that Mama trusted them to take care of the chickens.

Each day they took the left over rice or potatoes from the family's bowls and threw it on the ground for the chickens to peck.  Each day, they checked the water bowls to keep the water clean and fresh.  Each day, they peeked in the little chicken house that his older brother Kepher had borrowed from the neighboring farm. Each day Micah wondered, when will we find the first egg?

Micah couldn't wait to share the eggs. He told Mama that he wanted to save the first eggs until they filled the egg carton. Then he wanted to go to his friends Naserian and Lemayian and give them the whole box. He loved Naserian and Lemayian.  He wanted to always give them eggs and to sell to everyone else.  

But Brian thought they should both sell and give some to everyone the same. Brian thought it was a better plan.  Little Nathan just wanted to see the eggs, to feel their round firm brown shells in his hand.

One day, Micah's friend Lemayian was talking with his older brother Kepher at the back of the house where the chickens lived. All of a sudden one chicken gave a squawk and hopped off her nest.  Micah, Kepher and Lemayian stopped what they were doing.  Kepher sent Micah under the low door and into the coop to search the nest.  He put his hand in and pulled out the first egg! Everyone was happy.  

But no-one ate the egg. Mama said they should save them until they had a enought so that everyone could eat them together.  

Micah had other plans, he told Mama again of his idea to save the first full egg carton for his friends Lemayian and Naserian.  But Mama told Micah that they had gone away to the home of their family far away across the ocean for a little while.  The eggs would go bad if he saved them for too long.  

Micah collected many more eggs. His nephew Brian's plan to give some and to sell some was the idea that Mama liked.  But when Micah heard that Lemayian and Naserian were returning from their long trip, he began to collect eggs again in his egg carton.  

On the first night that Lemayian and Naserian returned, Micah could hardly stand still, he wanted to run over and give them the egg carton with the six beautiful eggs.  Mama told him to wait. "Let them get in the door," she said.  

The next day, Micah picked up his egg carton of six eggs and  carefully walked over the rocky path, opened the gate, and walked in the papaya lined path to the door of Lemayian and Naserian's house.  He rang the doorbell and waited.  When Naserian came to the door, he handed her the full egg carton and gave her a big smile. "Ilmosori, " he said, "eggs".  Naserian looked at the gift of six beautiful round brown eggs and she smiled back with a big smile. "Ashe oleng," she said, "thank you very much."

(based on a true story)