My Own Laundry

This happened to me when I was nine. One day I decided to do my own laundry. I called my mother at work; she used to teach children at school.

I asked her how much soap to use. “About a cupful,” she replied on the telephone. On arriving home hours later to find suds halfway up the basement stairs.

She screamed “How much soap did you use?” gaping at the mess. “Only a cupful,” I said sheepishly, holding a damp baseball cap. My mother suddenly started laughing and hugged me.