The One #watty2019

Ninety-Eight

Having Thanksgiving without my parents was only odd in that the food was relatively normal for once. Not a knock on my mom (love you always!), but after you've seen the kind of things mom put on the table with a straight face, you come to regard any other holiday meal as...not 'mundane', but just plain and simple. And good. Can never forget good.

We managed to clean every dish, per grandma's challenge, and remained contentedly stuffed until the next day. The girls planned to go for another walk around the neighborhood to work off the food. Why didn't I join them? Well, I was going to, but I got a rather pointed text from dad mentioning that I hadn't yet talked to my siblings. Again, kind of felt like that should have been my decision and they'd get along just fine without butting in, but whatever.

My conversation with Amanda went about as pleasantly as it usually did, especially with me avoiding the subject of Grant. She sounded particularly happy that I would be home in only a few short weeks. "I'll make sure Alan cleans off your bed," she giggled.

"Why? What did he do to it?" I was half-hoping she wouldn't answer. My mind was going to dark places that I never, ever wanted to visit.

"If you're lucky, you won't have to find out." Yeah, that was a pretty good way of putting it.

As I dialed Alan's number, I realized just how little I knew of what was going on in his life. My scheduled calls almost always seemed to fall on a busy time for him (and yes, I am fully aware of the possibility that he was just 'always busy') so we didn't have time for much more than a few exchanged pleasantries and a promise that we would try to work something out at a better time. I never found out when that better time would be.

So I didn't have huge hopes as I dialed his number. If he didn't pick up at all, I wouldn't have been surprised. The fact that he picked up after only two rings was a surprise. "Hey Jack."

"Hey bro," I replied, covering my surprise in pleasant calm, "Happy Day-After-Thanksgiving."

"Thanks. Same to you."

This was usually the part where Alan mentioned that he was in the middle of something and had to go. With nothing following along those lines, we both sat in awkward silence for a little while. Talk, damn it! "How was Thanksgiving? Any nutty dishes?"

"Well, there was the fruit curry."

The what now? "The what now?"

"Fruit curry. I...can't even really explain it. That's what she called it. Wasn't too bad, actually." He chuckled a little. "She did something with the turkey I...I don't know what it was. Made it taste really sweet. Uncle Don said it reminded him a little of tender pork but I don't see it."

"A turkey that tastes like pork? So it's...bad turkey?" I was never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to suggest that in front of mom. But if you make something that tastes like something else...if I made a steak that somehow tasted like a pizza, it was a bad steak. I make steak because I want to taste steak.

"He was the only one who thought it. Still pretty good. How was Thanksgiving out there? Get enough corn?"

Why does everyone immediately go to corn? And what's wrong with corn? "Har har. It was delicious. Oh, sorry Kelly wasn't able to have Thanksgiving with you guys."

"Yeah, well..." He sighed as if giving her up for the day had been a sacrifice on par with giving up his soul. "Guess she should eat with her family."

"Don't know how she's able to handle all that generosity," I replied dryly, "Actually surprised you're not hanging out with her right now."

"She's doing some stuff with her family. I think they're going to see a cousin or something."

"Great boyfriend," I snorted, "Make sure you don't forget her birthday too."