I remember running away from the noise and softly closing the door behind me. Racing over to the ivory and gold handled telephone, I slowly lifted the receiver and tilted the voicepiece away from my mouth to cover the sound of my ragged breath. My Auntie was calling from so far away…Nana had absentmindedly answering the ringing wall phone in the kitchen and chaos erupted instantly. While all the other cousins clamored over each other as she covered one ear with a spare hand, stiring lunch on the stove with the other, trying to shush them with a stern face and laughing eyes, I snuck away to the bedroom. Alone, laying on my back on the furry sheepskin rug next to my Nana’s bed, I heard my Auntie tell my Nana she was pregnant. With twins. As an echo rang out from the kitchen, I smiled to myself and then laughed out loud. Two babies.
I don’t remember the day they were born and I only remember bits and pieces of their itty, bitty-ness…somewhere around the time they were…about six-ish or so, an idea blossomed that they would come stay with me for a few days that summer. What first started as an extended overnight, blossomed into summer trips with their brother. Together the four of us camped, rode bikes, rented canoes, slayed road trips, conquered The Scorpion, made puking pancakes, experienced movie theaters all over the state, swam in a rock quarry, rocked so many rounds of mini golf, raced cars, tubed a river and found a GoPro, built fires, flyboarded and rope coursed, hung out and ate all the food. Even more than that, we talked and laughed and joked and created some of the best memories of summer.
And then, just two days ago, I watched them walk across that stage and turn their tassels. Gone are the days of high school and on to the days of life. These boys who climbed trees and threw metal playing cards and created swords from anything bearing even the slightest resemblance and gamed into the wee hours of the night…these boys are now off on their own. College bound and entering their into their own. I am so happy they’re family and even more thrilled that I get to call them friends.
Congrats, you two.
