Thursday, April 26, 2007 — Every school day I head to the cafeteria at 12:30 to get lunch. I like the food quite a bit. Unlike other schools, there's no mystery about it—everything is fresh and tasty and looks like it should! The only mysterious thing about the cafeteria is Mrs. Grubbly, the lunchlady. She never smiles.

No one knows quite how long Mrs. Grubbly has been the lunchlady at Millsberry Academy. I've never seen her talk to anyone else who works at school. I started to wonder if she was unhappy, or what she was thinking about. What was her secret? And why wouldn't she smile? So a few weeks ago I decided to do my best to make it happen.

At first, it was just me who tried to cheer her up. Every day when I went to order my food, I would tell her a joke, or wear something outrageous that was bound to get a reaction. I told her my best knock-knock joke. It's not really very funny—but just so cheesy that you have to laugh. No reaction from her whatsoever. I wore springy-eyed glasses and told her I'd been having trouble reading the chalkboard all day—did she have any advice for me? Again, nothing but a brief silent stare from her.

I asked a bunch of my friends to help me out. They created big signs reading, "Smile!" to wave at her. No luck. It wasn't long before Mrs. Grubbly knew exactly what we were up to and did her best not to let us have what we wanted. She wouldn't look us in the eye when we talked to her, and sometimes looked as if she was pressing her lips together trying not to laugh.

A week later she changed her approach. She began making us laugh, still managing to keep her own face emotionless. One day she served sandwiches that had smiley faces toasted into the bread. Another day she dressed outrageously, serving food with a snorkel on. It was all the more funny because she acted like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Then one day last week I realized I'd left my baseball cap in the cafeteria at lunch. I headed back at the end of the school day to retrieve it, where it was sitting right where I'd left it. As I started to leave, I was startled when a voice on the other side of the room said, "Michael." It was Mrs. Grubbly! She had emerged from the kitchen. I didn't even think she knew my name.

She approached me without a word, and when she was standing right in front of me, suddenly let out a huge grin! Her whole face lit up. It was incredible, seeing her smile for the first time. She looked like a completely different person. I couldn't help but smile back.

"There," she said, relaxing her face. "Happy now?" Her eyes were still smiling as she said this.

"Yes," I replied, blown away. I had so many questions I wanted to ask her.

But before I could begin she said, "Now run along and tell your friends to stop bothering me with their mischief."

"Sure, Mrs. Grubbly."

And with that, she walked towards the kitchen, and left me standing there dumbfounded. My first thought was that no one would believe she had smiled at me (they still don't). But I knew I was going to give up my quest. I'd never know the real Mrs. Grubbly, but I had tried my best and she chose to remain a mystery. I still wish she would show everyone her smile, but she must have her reasons. Even if she doesn't smile, she showed us all that she has a sense of humor. And her air of mystery just makes every day at school a little more interesting.