OOOPS!

OOOPS!
By Fred Wickert

Every now and then, someone will do something that on the surface is an accident. It is merely a coincidence they will say. But somehow there is that lingering suspicion that it just might have been, even subconsciously, an intentional act.

Was this episode really an accident? Was, as it seemed to be, merely an innocent coincidence? Or was it a deliberate act, whether consciously or subconsciously? We have no real evidence and so, I suppose we have to presume innocence. You be the judge.

In the summer of 2007, Anita Lewis in Elmira, New York, decided to have a lawn sale. She had many small items that no longer were needed or used in the décor of the house. They were to good to just throw away, but she did want to dispose of them. Having a lawn sale seemed to be the most natural thing to do.

Anita’s husband’s first wife had a collection of turtles. There were many different sizes, shapes and types of turtles. The house contained many of them. Two or three of them were okay, but turtles were not really Anita’s cup of tea, so to speak. They might be of interest to others, and so they became a part of the goods offered for sale.

On the weekend chosen for the sale, all was ready and the sale went on as planned. All was well, or was it?

A woman from Horseheads, New York was driving by and seeing the lawn sale, stopped to see what treasures might be hers to gain. Browsing among the goods, she was attracted to a fair-sized jar in the shape of a turtle. Oh how cute that turtle is, thought she. It will make a lovely cookie jar, and the price is more than reasonable at only a half a dollar.

The lady from Horseheads happily paid the fifty cents for her new treasure, got in her car and went on her way. She was pleased with herself. She had just found a great bargain. A cute turtle cookie jar was hers, all in great condition, and only fifty cents. One could never beat a deal like that.

Upon her arrival at home, the lady from Horseheads began to examine her new purchase more closely. She had never bothered to remove the lid and look inside the jar, so she did now. She found that she had more than she bargained for!

Tucked neatly away inside the jar were the cremated remains of someone. This discovery, as one can imagine, gave her quite a start. Oh my, what an eerie feeling it was.

There was only one thing to do. She took the package back to her car and drove back to the home of the lawn sale. She approached Ms Lewis and revealed her find.

The ashes of the cremated body of her husband’s first wife had been put away inside one of the decedent’s beloved turtle collection. Did Anita ever know they were there? We don’t know. Was it really an accident? Was it subconsciously intentional? Was it even consciously intentional? We don’t know.

The news of the incident has been widely reported. One wonders if this coming Halloween, the trick or treat urchins will give the Lewis home a wide birth.

Story ID:	2663
Written by:	Frederick William Wickert (bio, contact, other stories)
Story type:	Story
Location:	Elmira New York USA
Year:	2007
Person:	Anita Lewis