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Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Escape 2007, Episode 5: Baby-sitting

Other Brother had taken Monday and Tuesday off to spend a long weekend with us here. Unfortunately, due to his father-in-law having a health setback, his wife couldn’t come and it was him and the kids (9 and 6 years old). Given the situation at home — she’s a total basket case at the moment, understandably — he’s stuck without anyone to watch the kids and has to be back at work tomorrow. So we struck a deal: he goes home tonight alone, we keep the kids, he comes back tomorrow after work and commutes from the lake house for the rest of the week (or until she can come back).

Other than that, and a night rain that hung into the early morning, things are no different than before. A little water time, a little walking time, a run to town for groceries, and supper. I thought I was going to spend the night in the camper with the kids, but Daughter Dearest took over and is now out there with them. What a great kid. I owe her one: maybe I can not hassle her most of the rest of the week.

Sitting with Dad outside this evening, I saw a rowboat come in a few docks down. A girl, maybe 12, hopped out and ran for the house, leaving the boy (about the same age) trying to keep the boat at the dock.

Dad said, “A boy in a boat, alone on a lake… is king.”

“He probably doesn’t realize it yet.”

“Sure he does.”

Presently, the girl came running back — in a bikini. They threw a ladder in the boat; he swung it around, hit the trolling motor, and they glided away. Pre-teen romance is fun to watch…

6 comments:

  1. Nice thing ya'll did for you brother FAR.

    Puppy love. Ah to be young and in love again. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey FM. It was mostly Daughter Dearest, really. I did my part, or I think I did, but she went beyond.

    I thought the kids were cute. I saw them later in the week; he was rowing and facing her, so he was pushing the oars and making somewhat clumsy progress.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Daughter Dearest took over and is now out there with them. What a great kid. I owe her one: maybe I can not hassle her most of the rest of the week."


    I think she would have rather stayed just one more day, or even a few minutes where her boyfriend is, little things like that can mean the world to your kids, and I'm sure she's still pretty pissed about it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anon, I'd have been OK with a meetup along the way if they had worked it out (with me) before we headed back.

    The thing is, she had gone up there a few weeks beforehand (and they left Mrs. Fetched at the hotel all weekend too). We seriously discussed not including a Bloomington leg on the trip at all, because of that situation, but decided to see how it went. Mrs. Fetched suggested I take some things to keep myself entertained, I did, and I needed them.

    So there's a disconnect here. If she (and her boyfriend) "weren't aware" that there was an issue about leaving us behind, they weren't listening. She had him her at FAR Manor for a couple of months, and we haven't seen my relatives in like two years, but I gave her two days anyway and didn't get as much as a thank-you. Where's the gratitude?

    ReplyDelete
  5. A 12-year-old girl out with a boy while wearing a bikini?

    (Just thinking...)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Heh. He was about 12 as well, I think.

    The scene actually triggered a story fragment, that I did write down. It didn't occur to me, until a couple of days later, that I wrote about the same couple in another fragment about a month ago. If I actually finish that story, it's going to be weird.

    ReplyDelete

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