The White Elephant In The Room

(My husband’s mother was born into the White family. At a restaurant our wait for a table is unusually long. I become irritated by the woman who is staring at us and avidly listening to our conversation. Luckily, my sense of mischief takes over in these situations. Without acknowledging the woman’s interest and seeming to continue the topic we were discussing, I murmur to my husband:)

Me: “So, you’re only half White?” *meaning his mother’s maiden name, not his ethnicity*

Husband: *realizing what I am doing and why* “Yes, my mother was a White, but my father isn’t.”

(For the remainder of our wait, the eavesdropping woman avidly studied my husband to try to discover what his non-white half might be. It was so much fun to play on a stranger’s nosiness! We barely contained our laughter until after we were seated.)