This week's prompts are:
Then put your money where your mouth is or "walk a mile in my shoes" or use: week, together, book
or "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch" or "He/She could talk the horns off a billygoat" or use: jump, live, game or "Failure is not an option" or "welcome back to the age of jive!"
Thanksgiving was turning out to be a bust as far as getting
family to come in. A snowstorm had
closed Lancaster airport and all the airports along the east coast.
“I was looking forward to my cousins coming in from
Minnesota, and wasn’t Travis supposed to try to get time off?” Ben mentioned after he’d basted the twenty-pound
bird he’d gotten from a turkey farm in Paradise.
“No such luck, Ben. Travis already took off last month, remember?” Tom was just as disappointed as Ben was. He’d hoped his brother would be able to make another visit.
“How could I forget, after that shooting at the airport I
didn’t want him to leave at all.”
“I know, neither did I.”
Tom was chopping vegetables at the kitchen island when the phone rang.
“Hello?” Tom answered
it. “Yeah Travis, it’s good to hear your
voice too.” Tom put the cordless phone
on the counter and put it on speakerphone.
“Happy Thanksgiving to my two favorite brothers.” Travis’ voice filled the warm kitchen.
“Happy Thanksgiving to you too,” he and Ben said in stereo.
“I was hoping we could be together today.” Tom said. Disappointment
could clearly be heard in his voice.
“Me too, guys. I’m
hoping I might be able to make it out the weekend after New Years. I’m stuck here covering all the local
games. I’m covering the Rose Bowl this
year, so you’ll be able to see me then.”
“Yeah, through our forty-six inch TV set. Ain’t the same, Travis.” Ben sighed.
“We could Skype, if you want to see me now.”
“Yeah, let’s Skype, I have a surprise to show you.” You could hear the excitement in Travis’
voice over the miles.
Tom got his laptop from the office and, in a few moments,
they went from cordless landline to staring face-to-face on Skype.
“Before you say anything, I just want you to see what you’re
missing.” Ben took the laptop and put
the webcam up to the window in the oven door and turned on the light inside, illuminating the big bird cooking
within. “That’s the main course. We’ll also
have some of Tom’s stuffing, the one he makes from his secret recipe. The one he refuses to let me in on what the
‘secret’ ingredient is.”
“You mean apple cider?”
Travis laughed
“TRAVIS! Damn!” Tom
screamed.
“Apple cider? So
that’s what I’ve been tasting all these years.”
Ben wore a grin like he’d won the lottery.
“Can’t keep a secret can you, Travis?” Tom smiled despite his tirade. It wasn’t really a big deal. He was planning on telling Ben one day what made
his stuffing so special.
“Oh I think I can, like the surprise I’m about to show
you.” You could tell how excited Travis
was. “Like this.” He held up something to the webcam.
“A book?” Tom saw the
back; he noticed it had a photo of Travis on it.
“Not just any book.”
Travis turned it around so they could see the front. “My Life Through Sports, by Travis Mathers.”
“You wrote a book? When, how….” Tom was flabbergasted.
“Congratulations, Travis,”
Ben commented.
“Congrats bro. Well, it
looks like you can keep some secrets
after all.” Tom seemed disappointed his
brother didn’t share that he was writing a book.
“I’m sorry, Tom. I
know I should have let you in on it, but I didn’t want to say anything until I
knew it was getting published. The
publisher just sent me my copy today. It’ll
be on bookshelves on Black Friday.”
“Does that mean I’ll have to line up at the Barnes and Noble
at the mall to get a copy?” Tom asked
him.
“Now would I do that to my family? I’m sending you each your own copies to
peruse.” Travis smiled at them. “I hope you’ll like it.”
“I’m sure we’ll love it.
Congrats, Travis. I do wish you
were here. I love you,” Tom said with a tear in his eye.
“Love you guys too. We’ll
talk next week. I have to go.”
“We’ll make sure to tune in to watch the game,” Tom said.
“Love you, Travis. Happy Thanksgiving again, Ben said.
“Well, looks like it’s just us,” Tom said after he’d disconnected Skype.
Ben’s cousins called from Minnesota saying they decided to
stay home. That they’d try to make a flight on Saturday instead, and leave on
Monday morning, which was when they originally were going to leave.
“Much as I love our families, I love it best when it’s just
us.”
“Meow?”
“And Love.” Their
now two-year-old cat had made her presence known.
They finished up their feast and ate a hearty meal that night,
sat in front of the fire, and watched the Rose Bowl game on their big screen
TV.
All snuggled and warm inside.
Think the only comment is - Happy Thanksgiving to you :)
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Happy Thanksgiving honey. I don't do Thanksgiving but I could sure go for some of that bird. :) Glad you remembered to include Love :)
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