This is for Betty. Hope it Brings a Smile. II

Of course Betty over at W.A.Y.A. posts about topics that bring back long forgotten memories, and instead of posting them in the comments section of her site, I am taking the opportunity to share here at the Playground.

As promised here is:

'The Day I Convinced My Younger Brother to Run Away.'

I think I was 5, maybe 6 and my younger sib was either 4 or 5. It was summer. I would like to claim June, but it could have been May. It probably was not any later because Mom and Dad spent the afternoon riding on bicycles.

I ran away because mom yelled at me. I can no longer remember why, but I tend to think it was because of something I did. I remember thinking, "I'll show her! I'm running away aaaaaaand I'm taking little bro with me! Aaaaaaaaaand she'll cry!"

See I got that idea because our older brother did it for a few hours the week before, except he flew solo. However, it's the American way to see a good idea and build on it.

(a few years later when older sib ran away--i know...OVERDONE--mom sent me out to find him and bring him home. Damn! Damn! Damn! I wanted his paper route!)

here is the conversation as I imagine that I remember it:
me: little bro, are you doing anything?
LB: no. mom is mad.
me: I know. She hates--us.
LB: no she doesn't.
me: yes she does.
LB: nuh uh. she yelled at you.
me: yeah, but she's gonna yell at you next
LB: nuh uh
me: uh huh
LB: nuh uh
me: we're running away
LB: no, i'm not
me: it won't be forever, just today
LB: no way!
me: mom's gonna yell at you next
LB:
me: trust me. I have a plan.
LB: where are we going? we're not allowed to leave the yard.
me: i know. we're going to hide in the pine trees by the path out back
LB: in (i cannot remember the name) yard?
me: yes.
LB: can we come home for lunch?
me: no! we have to stay out until dinner! besides mom and dad won't miss us until after lunch.
LB: dinner? I'm hungry
me: we'll pack sandwiches
LB: what will we do
me: we'll sit under the trees and watch mom. She's gonna miss us and cry
LB: then we'll come home?
me: so she can yell at us? No! we'll wait until dinner.
LB: that's a long time...
me: we'll bring pillows
LB: and blankets?
me: and blankets!

I sent LB off to get the pillows and blankets while I made peanut butter sandwiches. After that we snuck out, after telling older bro that we were running away and in case we fell asleep we were under the pine trees out back. He laughed and told us that we should go further up the path. He made it to the end of the block and almost went up the hill.

After we got settled in, we ate lunch and waited. We had a good view of the back of our house and a good bit of the road out front. It did not take long for mom to start calling. We laughed. It was soooo coool. Mom and dad would never find us. We could stay out under the pine trees...forever.

It seemed like hours passed, but it probably was no more than 30 minutes when dad came hustling out into the back yard. He looked around and we edged further under the trees and hunched behind the pillows. We were laughing and giggling like mad.

Oh, they were going to be sooo sorry for yelling at me--us. Then we saw them, riding their bikes up the road. Just like that, they forgot about us! They were having fun! Riding bikes while we were hiding! They didn't care! That did it! See if we ever came back! They would cry then. They would be sorry they rode their bikes and did not come looking for us! Serve them right!!

After what felt like a few more hours passed (probably no more than 30-45 minutes) older bro came out to our hiding place.

OB: have you seen mom and dad riding their bikes (big smile on his face)
me: yes. Looks like they're having fun.
OB: yeah? Well they have been looking for you and LB. They have the neighbors out looking too.
me: yeah? Good.
OB: you're not coming home?
me: no. It's nice here.
LB: is it dinner time?
OB: No, it's only 2. Mom and dad asked me if I knew where you went.
me: they did?
OB: Yeah, but I told them I did not know.
me: you did?
OB: then dad asked if you ran away. I said I thought maybe you did.
me: what did dad do?
OB: He told me that it was pretty hot today and that he was going to go get some ice cream and that if I saw you to tell you.
me: but we were planning on staying here until dinner, right LB? LB?