Henrietta was a single mother trying to scratch out a living on a small farm adjacent to the massive King estate. Her troubled son, Benedict, who most called Humpty and some thought bedeviled, seemed obsessed with the high wall that surrounded the estate. Twice in recent days Humpty, with his short stubby arms and legs, had been caught sitting on the wall. He had claimed he only wanted to sit for exactly three minutes in the warmth of the morning sun. Both times Mr. King’s security personnel had escorted Humpty back to the farm, where his mom had heard them joking about her son being “fried”. When she had asked her son about his odd behavior, he quietly withdrew into his shell.
Tuesday morning Henrietta watched from the farm yard in the predawn darkness as Humpty with his unusual gait made his way to the seemingly magnetic wall. From the shadows she watched her son ascend a makeshift ladder and move to the highest point on the wall. He then sat facing East with his legs dangling over the edge though his ovoid bottom provided an unstable base.
As the sun peeked over the distant mountains, Humpty awkwardly rolled onto his side, coming up onto his knees. He looked in all directions before standing and executing a respectable backward somersault. Grinning, he threw himself forward, twisting onto his back in a crude break dancing spin move. But despite his hardboiled reputation, Humpty wobbled to a quick stop. He managed to stand and with determination thrust his arms straight up. Humpty then pitched forward, kicking himself into a shaky handstand.
Henrietta watched with horror as her son struggled to maintain the improbable gymnastic feat before loosing his balance and falling sideways. Her heart stopped as Humpty rolled over the wall edge, his screams piercing the morning stillness as he dropped. From her position Henrietta could not see where Humpty landed but she heard the sickening impact.
Emergency responders scrambled to the scene within minutes but Humpty’s injuries were extensive. The paramedics were walking on egg shells as they positioned themselves to turn Humpty over easy for treatment. Upon hearing of the incident, Mr. King dispatched his entire staff from the estate to help. Even his stable personnel from the rear of the estate saddled all available mounts and rode out to assist. In the end Humpty could not be saved. The coroner arrived but slipped and fell as he examined Humpty. Finally, with egg on his face he ruled that the cause of death was multiple fractures and massive internal injuries. Henrietta, grief stricken, turned away as her son’s remains were removed from the scene.
The sheriff investigating the incident told Mrs. Dumpty that her son’s fall was an accident probably due to a careless egg roll on the narrow wall. Some of those interviewed felt that Humpty had been upset because of rumors of poaching by the farm hands. Others who saw his risky behavior as just strange referred to him as egg head. His sister, Faberge, said, “I think he may have just cracked when he didn’t get the “A” Grade he was expecting.”
Henrietta chickened out and did not come forward with her eyewitness account. She rationalized little would be gained. Sad at the loss of her son, she, nevertheless, remembered the other eggs in her nest.