Part 1:
Stuck in the bus garage office.
Our burglary plans gone awry.
Time ticked on.
3:00 AM:
“Just what are you doing?" I asked my brother.
“What does it look like?"
“You're stealing their food?"
“I'm making a sandwich," Rick answered. “I'm hungry."
He'd found peanut butter, grape jelly and English muffins in a pantry.
“Be careful, Hatcher. They might swab for DNA."
“PBJ-DNA? LMAO."
“You never know. What about crumbs?"
“I'll lick the plate clean. And then eat the plate. How's that?"
“Hmm, you've progressed up to Billy goat. It's an improvement since we last dated, to be honest."
“And what about the knife?" I asked.
“PBJ-DNA," Rick groaned as he stood to clean up. “ASAP."
Our burglary plans gone awry.
Time ticked on.
3:00 AM:
“Just what are you doing?" I asked my brother.
“What does it look like?"
“You're stealing their food?"
“I'm making a sandwich," Rick answered. “I'm hungry."
He'd found peanut butter, grape jelly and English muffins in a pantry.
“Be careful, Hatcher. They might swab for DNA."
“PBJ-DNA? LMAO."
“You never know. What about crumbs?"
“I'll lick the plate clean. And then eat the plate. How's that?"
“Hmm, you've progressed up to Billy goat. It's an improvement since we last dated, to be honest."
“And what about the knife?" I asked.
“PBJ-DNA," Rick groaned as he stood to clean up. “ASAP."
4:00 AM:
“Should we wake him up? Your lion, I mean. Try again?"
“Let him rest. Give him more time."
Dale slept hard, lying on his side, his head on a paw.
“Soccer game today at 10:00 this morning," Gen said. “A driver will be here a few hours prior."
“Lots of time left," I said hopefully.
No one responded.
“Lots of time left."
“Should we wake him up? Your lion, I mean. Try again?"
“Let him rest. Give him more time."
Dale slept hard, lying on his side, his head on a paw.
“Soccer game today at 10:00 this morning," Gen said. “A driver will be here a few hours prior."
“Lots of time left," I said hopefully.
No one responded.
“Lots of time left."
5:00 AM:
“We’re dead,” Rick said. “We are so dead. We deserve to get caught. This was a terrible idea."
“We had to help Grandpa,” I reminded him.
“No, we didn’t, He could’ve hurt someone."
“I think it’s sweet,” Genevieve said.
“Our other Grandpa. He's gone. Grandpa Hyung. Strong. He and his brother. Built the store from nothing. Wish I was that strong.”
“Is that why you stay?” I asked. “You can be anything. You don’t have to succeed Dad.”
“It’s different for you. Be a climatologist. I support that. But for me … I can't be a bad son.”
“Hatcher you’re a great son,” Genevieve told him.
“No, I’m not. Truth? I don’t even want to be there. I just don’t know what else to do.”
“Aw, bro. There's still time."
“Ignore me. I'm just tired. Maybe things’ll change. And I'll find a dream of my own."
“We’re dead,” Rick said. “We are so dead. We deserve to get caught. This was a terrible idea."
“We had to help Grandpa,” I reminded him.
“No, we didn’t, He could’ve hurt someone."
“I think it’s sweet,” Genevieve said.
“Our other Grandpa. He's gone. Grandpa Hyung. Strong. He and his brother. Built the store from nothing. Wish I was that strong.”
“Is that why you stay?” I asked. “You can be anything. You don’t have to succeed Dad.”
“It’s different for you. Be a climatologist. I support that. But for me … I can't be a bad son.”
“Hatcher you’re a great son,” Genevieve told him.
“No, I’m not. Truth? I don’t even want to be there. I just don’t know what else to do.”
“Aw, bro. There's still time."
“Ignore me. I'm just tired. Maybe things’ll change. And I'll find a dream of my own."
6:00 AM:
The sky hinted at dawn, even through the clouds and the rain.
Rick had fallen asleep beside Dale.
Genevieve and I talked.
“What happens if you try to go to college for weather?" she asked.
“My parents will never allow it. I’ll have to study business, just like Rick.”
“But you’re not going to do that, are you?”
“No. Freaking. Way.”
“You need any help, you let me know.”
“Thanks. It’ll work out. I mean, I might have to go to Sri Lanka State College or something. But I hear it’s nice there."
“You’re going to do just fine.”
“What about you? Was this wrong? Breaking in tonight?"
“If we get caught, I’ll lose my job. My teaching license. So maybe."
“Sorry."
“Don't be. I made my choice. And who knows? Maybe we'll win."
The sky hinted at dawn, even through the clouds and the rain.
Rick had fallen asleep beside Dale.
Genevieve and I talked.
“What happens if you try to go to college for weather?" she asked.
“My parents will never allow it. I’ll have to study business, just like Rick.”
“But you’re not going to do that, are you?”
“No. Freaking. Way.”
“You need any help, you let me know.”
“Thanks. It’ll work out. I mean, I might have to go to Sri Lanka State College or something. But I hear it’s nice there."
“You’re going to do just fine.”
“What about you? Was this wrong? Breaking in tonight?"
“If we get caught, I’ll lose my job. My teaching license. So maybe."
“Sorry."
“Don't be. I made my choice. And who knows? Maybe we'll win."
7:36 AM:
Everyone had dozed off.
Even me! I'd promised myself I'd be on watch.
But we were all asleep.
All asleep when ... we heard it.
The slam of a car door in the parking lot.
Someone was coming.
Our sleepy eyes blinked with worry.
Morning, rather rudely, had burst upon the scene.
*********************************
~Time to pick up our speed (our speeeed),
~Need some clever ruse (cle-ver ruuuuse);
~We're scaling the harsh brick wall, baby,
~Of the Vehicular Grandpa Blues.
Everyone had dozed off.
Even me! I'd promised myself I'd be on watch.
But we were all asleep.
All asleep when ... we heard it.
The slam of a car door in the parking lot.
Someone was coming.
Our sleepy eyes blinked with worry.
Morning, rather rudely, had burst upon the scene.
*********************************
~Time to pick up our speed (our speeeed),
~Need some clever ruse (cle-ver ruuuuse);
~We're scaling the harsh brick wall, baby,
~Of the Vehicular Grandpa Blues.
