Return of the Magi

Maggie's mom hugged her and then shoved her out the sturdy oak door.
"Good bye Maggie, run along to school now," she said after engulfing her daughter in a bone-crushing hug. And run she did.
"She'll probably run the entire way," her mother, who we shall now call Mrs. Jones, noted aloud to herself. She turned away from the peephole in the door and drifted thoughtfully back into the kitchen.
The kitchen had recently been redone so that The In-Laws could move in. It had a stainless steal counter 2 dishwashers, one for Mr. Jones and The In-Laws kosher diet and one for Mrs. Jones and Maggie. There were also 2 sinks, 2 refrigerators, 2 stoves, 2 ovens, 2 sets of pots and pans, and 2 pantries. Come to think of it, Mrs. Jones was she didn't actually live in a different house from her kosher husband. She thought that the 2 pantries were a bit over the top. The In-Laws insisted on totally kosher meals, which Mrs. Jones refused to prepare for them; 2 different meals was too much stress on her already busy life. Mrs. Jones herself quite liked meat.
Mrs. Jones sat down to a late breakfast. She then set about waiting for Maggie to come and avoiding the In-Laws.
After school Maggie returned. She came in and dropped her backpack and coat in a pile on the floor. She hollered at the top of her lungs,
"MOM, I'M HO-OME!!!" It was almost as if Maggie thought her mother could possibly have imagined that anyone else would come into the kitchen and ask for milk and cookies. Sure enough, Maggie came directly to the kitchen, knowing that her mother would be there and asked for milk and cookies.
"Not today Hon," her mother reprimanded crisply. "We've got to rush off to swimming lessons." Mrs. Jones grabbed her car keys and Maggie's swim bag.
"But don't I get to eat Mum? I'm hungry after school's tedious efforts?" Maggie pleaded.
Mrs. Jones screwed up her face. "Bad grammar dear, 'I'm hungry because of my tedious efforts at school. And yes, your snack's in the bag, you can have it in the car." They both went out the door and Mrs. Jones locked the door behind them. She revved up the Honda, put it in reverse and pulled out on the driveway. When they were safely on the highway, Maggie opened up her snack and through crumb-filled mouthfuls asked,
"Mom, can I get a pack of pencils and more lined paper?"
"Hon, what happened to the supplies I bought you last week? I'm not a money bag you know."
"I lost it," mumbled Maggie.
"Oh Honey, ask your Father!"
"But you know he'll say no Mum!" she pleaded.
"Oh. all right, but if this happens again." threatened Mrs. Jones.
"I promise it won't"
But a week later, Maggie was once again pleading with her parents.
".Please?"
"No, once you have proven to us that a 9 year old can be responsible for her own school supplies, you may ask for more. You also will have your TV privileges and be grounded until you earn them again." Her father, a financial advisor had been dragged into this for a reason unfathomable to him. He didn't know what he should do except give spoiled Maggie the spanking she deserved.
Across the room, Mrs. Jones fidgeted on her velvet plush chair. "That's a little harsh isn't it?" she pleaded with her husband timidly.
"No it's not dear, you spoil her too much. I am also going to organize a meeting with her teacher to see what can be done in this little dilemma." Mr. Jones decided. "In fact, I'll do that right now. Don't move," he said pointing to Maggie, "or I'll spank you."
He marched off to the duo-kitchen as Mrs. Jones and her daughter sat in an uncomfortable silence until Maggie asked, "Will Papa really spank me?"
"No, I don't think so dear," her mother reassured her.
Mr. Jones stalked back in, "Today, after her school day."
"That's fine dear."
"You and I together."
"Yes dear."
"No Maggie."
"Of course dear."
"Go to school Maggie."
"Yes of course dear," she mimicked. That got her the unwanted spanking and trotted out the door, wincing a little as she moved.
"See you after work at the school." Mr. Jones reminded his wife as she kissed him good bye. "Don't forget!"
"Have a good time at work dear." Mr. Jones also rushed out of the house leaving Mrs. Jones alone in the house as The In-Laws were out shopping. She sat down again to wait; a rich housewife doesn't have much to do. At 2:45 she once again was outside revving up the Honda.
At school, Ms. Whitecap, Maggie's elderly teacher welcomed them into the classroom. She wore her bifocals with the attitude of a child and much like a child, she kept pushing them back up onto her nose ridge with an eagerness found only in children and their teachers that slightly appalls other adults. She probably spent too much time around them, Mrs. Jones reasoned. Mrs. Whitecap wore her hair tied back in a messy bun.
"Yes, well, hello Mrs. And Mr. Jones," she said. "May I ask why you grace my classroom with your presence?"
"Yes, we are worried about Maggie, she seems to be losing her school supplies at an alarming rate. We were wondering if something is wrong." Mr. Jones said.
"Oh my, why don't you ask Maggie, I'm sure she'll tell you." Ms. Whitecap said.
"Oh she'll probably just tell us it's for an art project or something." Mr. Jones.
"If she doesn't tell you, I'm sure she will eventually." Ms Whitecap comforted. "Thank you for coming." They all shook hands and Mr. Jones stalked out trying to keep his temper in control.
"I'm sorry about my husband's rudeness." Mrs. Jones apologized.
"Don't worry dear, it's quite normal when I refuse somebody something," she assured the nervous parent who was, truth be told, was steadily backing out of the classroom. "Unobservant parents," the teacher muttered at their backs.
"I've never met such an unhelpful person in my life," complained Mr. Jones, who was waiting for his wife in the parking lot.
"Well why don't we just ask her?" Mrs. Jones suggested.
"Because that would be stupid, she would just lie like the spoiled brat you brought her up to be," yelled Mr. Jones as he walked toward his car.
"OK dear." Mrs. Jones got in the Honda and pondered all the way down Route 85. When she got home, she went up to her daughter's room.
"What did Ms. Whitecap say?" Maggie asked her mother.
"She said you were doing well in school."
"No mama, about the school supplies."
"Oh, we forgot to ask!"
"I can tell you're lying."
"Alright, she said to ask you."
"You're not lying?
"I thought you said you could tell? But no, I'm not lying."
"Alright, do you know Kaya?" Yes, her mother knew Kaya; she was a poor African American child who had won the chance to go to Maggie's private school for free through her studies. "Well, she was embarrassed that she didn't have any school supplies because they were too poor. Whenever you gave me the supplies, I went into school early and left them in her desk so she wouldn't have to be embarrassed."
"So why didn't you tell us this Honey?"
"Because if I tried to give it to her up front, she would have said No because she doesn't like charity and you would have tried to give it to her up front."
"Oh." Mother and daughter sat in the second uncomfortable silence in one day.
"You're not mad at me?"
"No, I'm not mad at you Sweetie. Tell you what, let's go to the store right now and we can buy Kaya a calculator."
"No, she doesn't need one."
"Why is that Darling?"
"I gave her mine."