My brother Chad is home for spring break! It's a pretty funny story actually, so buckle up! (I don't think you have a seat belt, or a physical body for that matter, but it's just a figure of speech so don't spend too much time thinking about it, aigh?)
About a month ago my mom asked if Chad was coming home for spring break. His girlfriend (Erica) would be coming down, but Chad told her that he decided he was going to stay up in Humboldt (where he goes to school obviously) instead of coming back. Mom was bothered by this, she missed Chad and wanted him back, but in their Skype call she put on a brave face and told him in a not-at-all convincing tone that she hoped he had fun and would see him over the summer. In a resigned tone she said goodnight and almost immediately after hanging up sighed and said to us, "He's not coming home. I wish he would."
For the next couple weeks my mom didn't mention it, but then she got a strange message from Chad's girlfriend's mom saying that she was looking forward to seeing both Chad and Erica that spring break. Confused, my mom called Chad and asked him why Erica's mom thought he would be coming down for spring break. "Oh, must be some kind of mix-up," he said, shooting down the rising star of hope that mom had gathered up about Chad's return. "I'll be sure to text her and let her know that I'm not coming back. Thanks for letting me know." The conversation didn't last much longer and my mom was once again dejected that her son would not be coming to see her near the end of March as she wanted.
I got a call from Chad a couple days later, in which he spoke for no real reason in a hushed tone. "Hey Andrew. I decided I'm coming down for spring break. But it's a surprise, so don't tell mom. I'll need your help though when I get there."
"Sure thing," I told him, grinning ear to ear. I loved having Chad back home, it was nice to have somebody to actually hang out with rather than sit by myself most of the day and work on my book and relive old memories. "What do you need from me?"
"I'll probably be getting in late, so I'll need some help getting in." I assured him that I would do my part when the time came and hung up just a moment before I realized I had no idea when he was coming back. Oh well, he'll call me a couple days before and then I'll be able to let him in, easy peasy, I told myself.
Over the next couple weeks, my mom would intermittently bring up the fact that Chad had decided to stay at Humboldt, but it really became a daily topic a few days before his spring break was supposed to start. "I just can't believe he would stay up here. I mean Erica's down here."
"Maybe he just wants some time to himself," I said, my face deadpan so I wouldn't give away the secret of the year.
On Saturday I got a text from Chad saying he would be there at around 10:30 pm. When I asked him what day he meant, I didn't get anything for several hours, but eventually I got a response saying "Tonight." I looked at my phone. It read 8 pm. Well at least I got some head's up anyway.
My mom went to bed at 10:30 that night and I considered trying to find a way to keep her awake for a bit longer until Chad got home, but that might seem too suspicious so I wished her goodnight and went to watch TV until my little brother got home.
At 11 pm I got the text. "Here." Brief, to the point, informative, perfect. I headed out to the garage to let him in and winced as the metal grated against metal and let out a horrific squeal, so I stopped immediately and gestured that Chad should crouch underneath it, just barely clearing the bottom of the door. I closed it again and this time we both grimaced as the agonizing noise scraped against our eardrums. "That's loud. Do you think that woke them up?" Chad asked as I shut the latch.
"Naw. Should be fine." I opened the door to the house and locked it behind us. He was holding two plates. "What are those for?"
"I'm bringing them back."
Chad snuck past mom and dad's room and I waited in the hall as he put his stuff away. He came back out with the dishes and came over to me. "Do you think I should just go to bed and let them find me there? Or should I wake them up?"
"What do you think?"
"Might be nice to surprise them. Your choice."
Chad nodded and disappeared into the dark room. I followed behind him and watched with amusement as he shook mom quietly. "Hey mom? I brought your dishes back?"
"Hm?" she muttered as she turned to look up at Chad. I switched on the lights and mom blinked slowly several times as Chad held out the dishes to her. Confusion danced across her face for a moment, and then the whole thing lit up like a hundred-foot Christmas tree. "Chad!!" she sighed happily. "Oh Chad you're home! Bill! Chad's home!" she mewed joyfully. She aww'd and ooh'd repeatedly as she hugged my brother and I sat down in the chair in the corner and watched as the three of them talked and my mom continued to make high-pitched noise of happiness.
Mom has been overjoyed that Chad is home and I'm quite happy as well. We've all been having a great time. Luckily mom decided not to go up to surprise Chad at Humboldt like she planned, that would have been funny though. The family goes up, the other comes home. It was good Chad told me so I could have nixed that plan should mom had decided to go through with it. He'll be home until Saturday night, and we'll be doing as much as we can as a family. Unfortunately Chad has a cold now, great timing right?
Just thought I would share that story with you blog, I can tell you were absolutely enraptured by that roller coaster of sorrow and joy.
Your yarnspinning master, Andrew
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