I work as a library page in a library. Now that the personal information is out of the way, on with the story…

I was working in the kids’ nonfiction section with the other pages and one of the librarians. We were shifting books. My supervisor was in the back room with the library manager, getting ready for the Thanksgiving fun (everyone brought food; the manager brought turkey). Suddenly, I heard glass shatter in the back room, and everyone’s attention was perked. But I didn’t go to look at the accident. I kept on shifting books. Later, however, on my way to the employee bathroom, I saw my supervisor and the manager sweeping up broken glass. In among the glass sat pieces of turkey.

Some time later, when the food was all out and ready to go, I grabbed a plate, got some foodstuffs, including some of the turkey (which was now in some kind of steamer along with the stuffing), and sat down. I began to eat my food when all of a sudden I crunched down on something hard. I reached into my mouth and realized that whatever it was was now stuck in the side of my tongue. I spat the chewed food into a napkin; it was red with blood. I went to the bathroom and nervously pulled a chunk of glass out of my tongue. Yes, a chunk of glass. About the diameter of a nickel or larger. Later, when I showed the shard to my fellow employees, their mouths hung open in shock.

So, still in the bathroom, I examined my tongue: there was a small cut on the side of it, and it was bleeding moderately. Still tasting blood in my mouth, I exited the bathroom. I sat down in my chair then said aloud to anyone listening, “I wouldn’t eat the turkey. I think there’s glass in it.” In response to their surprised reactions, I told them what happened.

I’m still unsure how the glass ended up in the turkey, but I have a guess or two. Someone, in my opinion, made a serious error in judgment.

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1. One Year of Woe