idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part thirteen

The car was filled with comfortable silence. Rick glanced over at Lynn, watching her nod off. He pushed some buttons and Lynn snuggled down into the reclined seat. This sure turned out differently than I expected. But what to do now? As he signaled right  onto the street that led to Lynn's house. He parked and turned the car off. He opened the car door. She was so peaceful... He gently leaned over and shook her. "Lynn, we're here."

Yawning she stetched and opened her eyes. "Oh, I fell asleep. I am so sorry."

"No. You're fine. Come on. We had better get Cinderella home before midnight."

She climbed sleepily out of the car. "What time is it anyway?"

"Oh, just eleven."

Nodding, she turned and offered her hand.

"What is this?"

"A handshake. If we are going to play boyfriend and girlfriend, we only need to do that in front of your family. Right?"

Rick looked down at the ground. She is just way too logical.

"Tell you what. From now on I will consider myself your boyfriend. You just let me know when you want to quit being my girlfriend." As he took her hand to lead her to the door.

"Huh?"

"Like I said before, it is not that far fetched an idea, is it?"

"But" yawn, "What about H.R.? What about the rules? Not to mention the fact, I don't know you... " she trailed off, yawning again.

"As long as we keep it outside of the company, there should be no problem, right?" pausing, "And I have turned you down for a promotion eight times. No one can accuse me of nepotism, or favoritism..."

"That makes sense. But, I don't get it. Is this real or fake?"

Rick leaned over and kissed her forehead. "It will be as real as you want it to be, Princess." Turning he waved back at her as he jumped in his car and sped away.

Lynn wearily opened the door and found Jenny and Carl in a hot game of gin rummy.

"Ah, Lynn, you're back."

"So like who is winning?" She wearily sat down on the chair, kicking off her heels and rubbing her feet.

"Gin!!!!" Jenny squealed. "Me, of course, tell me, how was it?" Jenny's excitement quickly fell flat.

"Strange, Horrible. Food was good. Then, confusing. Pretty much that sums it up." Lynn got up. "Guys, thanks for watching Charlie, but church is at ten, and I have got to get some sleep. Just let yourselves out... Kay?" As she tiredly headed for her room, closing the door.

"Well." Jenny looked at Carl, "What do you make of all that?"

"I don't know what to make of it. She is your friend after all."

"Hummnn." Jenny put the cards away. "Well, time to go."

"Can I drop you anywhere?"

"Carl, I drove, too."

"oh." Vibration went off in his pocket. "Rick's calling."

"He probably wants to talk."

Carl turned his phone off.

"What? Don't you want to talk with your cousin?"

"Not right now."

Jenny looked confused as she handed Carl a bag of cookies. "Here, take this. You earned it. Me, I have gotta get home and crawl in bed." As she closed the door to Lynn's house, making sure it was locked, Carl hung beside her.

"Hey, Jenny."

"What?"

"When can I see you again?"

"Won't you be busy? I think your cousin is planning to work you to death to make sure Jenny's proposal does not fall apart." Jenny noted his fallen face. "I am planning on going to church with Lynn tomorrow. Are you game?"

"At ten right?"

"yeah. St. Joes" she paused, "You know it?"

"Yeah."

"Guess I will see you there." As she opened the door of her car and hopped in. "Carl...I will give you some advice. If you are not sincere, don't come near." She slammed her door, buckled and sped off waving.

Carl watched the brake lights and then turn signal as Jenny now turned out of sight.

"But I am always sincere." He mumbled as he reached for his cell and turned it back on.

---

"Yeah, Rick. I leaving right now. Meet up?" he paused. "I am really kinda tired."

"Ah, Charlie, he was good."

"Oh, you mean Jenny. It was fun."

"St. Joe's at ten. Why?"

"Fine. Pick me up then."

---

Jenny turned her signal. "Okay. Tell me what happened last night."

Lynn yawned. "Charlie, stay buckled. That's a good boy... I am really not sure. I think the Chairman hit on me."

"Like how?"

"He grabbed my arm and told Rick to get lost.  I though he was going to ravish me right there in the entry way."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Jenny, do I look like the type that would kid about that?"

"No. So what happened next?"

---

Rick pulled into traffic.

"The old man did what? He grabbed your girl and then told you to run along?"

"That was the size of it."

"What did you do?"

"i told him to get his hands off my girlfriend... that's what."

"And."

"I grabbed her and kissed her in front of him to prove my point."

"And what did Lynn do?"

"Honestly I was in so much pain from your gift of this fat lip, I did not notice."

"Ah, cuz." Carl's face was in shock.

---

"He kissed you?"

"Yeah, right in front of his dad."

"What did you do?"

"I I I was really confused."

"Then what happened?"

"His dad said something about being a better man and that he thought his son was gay... It is all kinda blurry."

"Jenny, you didn't."

"I did. I got so mad at this guy berating his son. I told him off."

---

Chuckling out loud, Carl managed to get out, "She did what?"

"She poked him in his shoulder telling him off. And then demanded he apologize to me."

"How I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in that house last night. I bet his face was priceless."

"Carl.. Lynn knows about my parentage."

"So..."

"She said it did not bother her."

"Rick, the only ones bothered by that are our uncles. I, for one, am glad you did not grow up in that house. You would have become like one of them."

"How about you, Carl?"

"Huh?"

"You grew up there, are you like them?"

"No. You forget. I met you when I was eleven. I thank my stars for that. Even if all we did was fight back then, you made me see some things differently."

The black sedan pulled into the church lot.

"Hey, there is Jenny's car."

"Which one?"

"That little red civic there."

Rick pulled in beside the car. No one was to be found.

"Do you see them anywhere?"

"Oh, look there."

Charlie was jumping up and down. He was so excited. Waving at Carl and Rick, grinning from ear to ear, yelling, "Carl... Skunk man, here."

Carl laughed, "You know, this is giving the idea of going to church a whole new meaning."

Rick just shook his head and gave a rueful laugh. "I wonder how he behaves in the service."

"That should be entertaining."

Lynn and Jenny turned to where Charlie was pointing and yelling.

"What are they doing here?"

"I guess I sort of invited Carl. He must have brought Rick."

"And today we have the easter egg hunt for our class."

Jenny giggled. "Good. We can put these two to good use."

The men approached the trio.

Jenny handed Carl her keys. "Okay. I need you to get the eggs out of the trunk. You and Rick can hide them while we are in class."

"Class?"

"yeah, we are the teachers for the special needs class here. Don't tell me you forgot that today is Easter?"

"Oh."

"Mr. Fox, you guys need to hide them over by the picnic tables out back. Okay? But don't make it too hard to find them. We will be out in about thirty minutes to hunt them." As she waved and headed into the church with Jenny and Charlie.

"What do you think of that?"

"I think we have been had."

"Come on. It should not be that hard to do."

"Hey, Rick, why is her trunk tied with bungy cords."

----

Carl and Rick sat down on the picnic table wiping sweat off their faces. One hundred and twenty eggs were scattered in various places.

Jenny came out with a couple of glasses in her hand. She smiled at their tired expressions.

"come on guys, it can't be that bad." Handing them the drinks.

"Um, Kool Aid. I forgot how it tasted." as Rick grimaced a little finishing it.

Jenny gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "You guys were life savers today. Now you can watch the fruits of your labor." As the doors opened and about thirty "children" all shapes and ages came flooding out of the church. Buckets in hand they stopped at the grass. Lynn came up in front of them.

"What are we going to do?"

"Find Easter eggs."

"Do we fight over them?"

"No."

"Okay. Get ready, set, GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Carl and Rick watched these "kids" going from spot to spot in search of their treasure. One of the little ones tripped and fell down. Rick jumped up to help, when he felt a restraining arm. He turned Lynn shook her head, no. Pointing... Charlie came over and helped the little girl up then he took her hand. "Let's go to a special spot." And he helped her find the ones behind the tree.

"Rick. These kids are mostly Downs syndrome. Charlie shines here."

"Yup. He is our designated helper." added Jenny.

When all the eggs were found, and everyone was made sure to get at least one or two eggs...after sending the guys back to get the rest of them from Jenny's back seat, games were organized and songs sung. Finally, Church let out and parents came forward to pick up their "kids" from the field. Rick watched several elderly couples walking down to pick up young men and women. The realization that these people would die before their dependents hit him.

"Why so serious all of a sudden?" Lynn asked.

"The parents who are elderly. What is going to happen to their children?"

"Some will go to group homes. Some will go to siblings. Some will go to institutions." She looked up and smiled. "Charlie, come on. We have to clean up and go home."

---

A man in a wheel chair sat staring down the hill at the group.

"Mr. Matthews... the car is ready."

"Fine, Watson. Are the arrangements made?"

"Yes. The invites are going out now." The chauffeur paused. "But it is short notice."

"Ah, Watson, that is the luxury one has when you are as rich and old as I am."

Simultaneously, Rick and Carl jumped. Pulling out their cell phones, they grimaced.

"What?" Jenny asked as she noticed the color drain from Carl's face.

"Guess there is no choice."

"Nope." came Rick's reply.

"Easter, right?"

"Yup. but what do you think about the rest of it."

"Guess we had better ask."

The men looked up into the faces of two confused girls. "You girls have any plans for this afternoon?"

to be continued