“Did you hear what Mrs. Schrader told Susan,” Mrs. Myers asked Mrs. Speckles as they sat eating cakes in the kitchen. This conversation, like many others before it, was about everyone but themselves. “No, but do tell the situation.” Mrs. Speckles possessed a knack for getting people to tell her things; gossiping just happened to work perfectly for her. At their age, you would think they would find something better to talk about than other people’s problems but they never found any other conversation as interesting as getting into everyone else’s business. “Well, I heard from Mr. Roscoul who heard from Mr. Dunbar, who heard from Mrs. Dunbar, who while over at Mrs. Schrader’s house heard Lucy tell Mrs. Rosemary that Susan told her that Mrs. Schrader planned to marry her daughter Dabora off to a wealthy merchant by the name of Rumpelstiltskin.” With a loud crash, Mrs. Speckles dropped her teacup spilling the contents all over me and everything else near the tea cup. Not bothering to clean up her mess Mrs. Speckles carried on with the conversation, “Surely you heard them wrong. My son Charles told me that his friend Roscow told him that his cousin Marco knows Rumpelstiltskin and he told Marco that he planned to marry my second cousin Ruberta.” Both women stared at each other dumbfounded, yet they never bothered to ask my opinion on the matter. Wisdom somehow became irrelevant when gossiping; both Mrs. Speckles and Mrs. Myers forgot not everything heard pertains to truth. Better to go directly to the source if wondering about something. “Calling me a liar Mrs. Speckles?”

Here in lies the typical part of the conversation where they begin to argue and quickly all three pieces of cake on each of their plates gets eaten, “Of course not Mrs. Myers. I simply mean to imply your information is faulty. No reason for you to become upset.” Bad move on Mrs. Speckles part; never tell another woman her information consists of falsities. “Never before in all my days...you now call me both a liar and disillusioned? Mrs. Speckles, I told you this in good confidence but it seems as though I made a faulty decision.” I watched as dear old Mrs. Myers turned her nose up at the now wide-eyed Mrs. Speckles. From there the conversation got nothing but worse and I began to drown them out with my thoughts instead. I wonder how long it takes for them to notice if I sit here any longer I will start to become cold? Will they ever finish with their constant bickering? Should I try to stop them from fighting? Finally I heard no more sounds and I decided I better focus again.

Mrs. Speckles and Mrs. Myers sat with their backs to each other refusing to speak. I thought they resolved to remain in silence forever but eventually Mrs. Speckles turned around, “Did you hear what farmer Robinson planned to do with his brand new jersey cow yesterday afternoon?” Mrs. Myers spun around in her chair and asked, “No, but I’m sure whatever he planned you will tell me in full. We, women, must tell each other all things you know, we must stick together.” Another round of gossip began just like it seemed to every Sunday afternoon at tea time. I simply sit with them and the ladies never seem to want my opinion. I sit and I listen wondering if anyone else knows what I know.

Teapots such as I always know the truth behind the gossip. Rumpelstiltskin recently got married and is no acquaintance of Ruberta or Dabora, his niece Lucy did not receive the gift she wanted last spring and for revenge she told everyone Rumple planned to marry Dabora and Ruberta in a ploy to try and wreck Rumple’s marriage. Lucy’s plan went without as planned except she forgot about the ears and the eyes of homes. Children can be so dramatic at times and the hand painted fan she got was quite offended she didn't see the wonder of it. We teapots, chairs, tables, and household furniture talk to each other. If not for the nice paper and pen who sat on the counter next to me all the time Mrs. Stiltskin would never receive the message telling her of her niece's plan.