My “Little-Big” Sister
I pull up in the driveway last night after a conference with my English teacher. Trying not to forget anything in the car, I take a few minutes to get out. A typical, uneventful evening. Or so I though before I opened the door.
“Guess what Benjamin?” Shae asks.
“What?”
“No, really guess what Benjamin. You have to guess.”
I’m a little hungry, and we usually have a snack after I get home from class, so I look toward the kitchen and take a shot.
“Cookies?”
“No,” she says, looking crossly at me with a smile on her lips, “Think bigger.”
I’m intrigued at the hope of finding something bigger than cookies now. My eyebrows raise a little bit.
“Cake?”
“No Benjamin, much bigger than cookies!”
I’m stumped at this point. I can’t think of anything greater than cookies or cake, and I wasn’t getting any closer at the guessing game. Luckily, she pitties me and drops a hint.
“Think along the same lines, but much bigger and cooking for a much longer time.”
My mind travels back to when I referred to her pregnant belly as an oven and the illustrious belly-button turkey timer. Could she be talking about a baby? Whos baby? I venture further on this quest for information.
“A baby?”
“Yeah for babies!” Shae says clapping and smiling.
“You’re having a baby?”
“No,” she says with a slight roll of the eyes and an incredulous stare.
“Meghann?” this guess isn’t too farfetched, though not too likely.
“Yeah for babies!” she exclaims again.
“I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise.” But – my lack of surprise was no reflection of the flood of happiness that rushed through my veins. This is the kind of flood that starts off with a small trickle in your toes, barely wetting your sanity. It pulses higher with each hearbeat, and in a matter of seconds, begins to ring through your all your senses saying, “Your sister is going to have a baby!!!”
I’ll raise my glass to that. You can just call me Uncle Ben.
Loved your story reaction. Your emotional response is very similar to recent activity under Mt. St. Helen’s. What a wonderful description of your reaction to the newest of news. Life certainly is an adventure, and having children definitely perpetuates this adventure as we share our past experiences with the newcomers!
Man! I bet Ben was sweating it when he thought there was another one on the way,at least for a second there….and I’m happy for all of you, the Cecka family tree seems to have sprung many a new branch in so little a time.