How the Tooth Fairy Failed me.

In 2000, my tooth had been so loose but refused to come out. It was driving my entire family nuts watching me play with it with my tongue. My grandma offered me candy if I allowed them to take it out, I refused. My mother offered to take me to the gas station for treats, I refused. My aunt would allow me to stay with my baby cousin, Jayla, for the whole weekend. Nope. I enjoyed playing with it too much. Finally, it was pushed so far out that my mother overruled my decision. She tied a string from an old shirt to my tooth, tied it to a door, and snatched it out. (Don't worry, I didn't feel a thing. Please don't accuse my mother of abuse!) I was happy! The tooth fairy would be paying me a visit. I kept my tooth in my pocket, placed it underneath my pillow once I got home, and slept through the night.

But when I woke and checked under my pillow, my tooth was still underneath. No money.

I cried to my mother. "The tooth fairy didn't come!" She comforted me and assured that the tooth fairy would come the next day. Throughout the day, I constantly asked her if the tooth fairy misses days. She said, "Sometimes." That night when I laid down, she told me a story on how the tooth fairy had a ton of kids to get to, but that she received a notice from the "sparkly princess" that she would come by in my sleep and give me my $5. Fantastic. In good spirits, I slept for anticipation the next day.

8AM. Time for school. I removed my pillow, my tooth was still there. By this time, I was livid.

I stormed to my mother and told her that the "Stupid Tooth Fairy" still hadn't given me my money. She was equally surprised, checking underneath the pillow with me. That's when she told me that the rules were that I had to sleep on my left side, facing the wall because the tooth fairy feared that I might see her. I was upset the entire day at school. I didn't want to play. I didn't want to participate in any kids games. I just wanted the Tooth Fairy to give me my damn money! After school, I played my Nintendo, took a bath, had dinner, and went to sleep.

8AM. Tuesday. I check my pillow. No money.

At this point, I tell my mother that I want to throw my tooth away. I don't care for the money anymore. I'm annoyed beyond belief and do not want anything to do with that Tooth Fairy anymore. My mom laughed and then told me, "Try sleeping on your left side. This way the Tooth Fairy can see that you're sleeping." I repeated the same process. Went to school, played games, ate, and went to sleep.

8AM. Wednesday. This time, $5 was under my pillow.

But I wasn't happy. I felt weird about it. I told my friends the money she'd given me, but with no joy. I went to my dads later that weekend and apparently my mother had told him about the Tooth Fairy mishap. He asked, "You happy that the Tooth Fairy finally brought your money?"

I froze for a little bit, then told him "Dad, I don't think the Tooth Fairy is real."

I don't know what it was, but that whole process had opened my eyes in its own strange way, even as a 5-year-old. I still can't pinpoint what it was, but this Tooth Fairy experience wasn't like my first one. I knew that something wasn't right. If you were wondering why the "Tooth Fairy" was so late, my mother kept forgetting to put money underneath my pillow every night. If not for that, I probably would've believed in the Tooth Fairy until I was 10!

So thank you, Mother, for ruining my favorite Fairy-tale!!