My mother, stepdad, and nephew arrived around noon today to help my brother get ready for his move. In her typical fashion my mother immediately started talking about leaving the kids and going thrift store shopping with me. It doesn't matter that I always decline saying that I like to get rid of junk, not bring it home. She still asks. She talked my brother into tagging along, and bribed my son by offering to buy him a toy.
When they returned my mother came downstairs to help my brother pack, and he began unleashing a slew of stories from last night's going away party. We had a barbecue, a bonfire (in my awesome new fire pit), and many friends and neighbors came to spend one last night with my brother before his big move. I stayed up as late as I could stand, feeling more like a babysitter/mother to the lingering group of young men, before I finally succumbed to exhaustion around 4am. My last words to them were, "Please don't burn my house down."
I guess they grew tired of searching for firewood after they had burned through the enormous pile I had for them. Someone had the bright idea of raiding the vacant house next door. This house has been sitting abandoned for years, and the city has finally posted notices on the door, calling it unfit to live in. I've been saying they will probably tear it down, as it has been home to stray animals for so long it reeks of ammonia before you even get close.
I asked my brother why my fire pit was full of metal coils, and he informed me they burned a mattress after I went to sleep. Evidently they burned a dresser, a chest of drawers, and as many 2x4's as they could carry as well. All this while intermittently giving each other rides in my son's wagon. All this after 4am while the neighborhood slept.
He apologized for letting my patio furniture sit too close to the fire, and contested that they hadn't realized how well that old dresser would burn. He showed me a picture if the flaming pit/dresser before telling me he needed me to follow him outside to survey the damage. The patio furniture was fine, except for the cushions, which had melted and shriveled from the heat. I felt disappointed for a minute before I shrugged it off and chalked it up to memories they'll never forget. About that time his friend text him saying, "I just woke up and went out to my truck. I have a whole box of Playboy magazines in here that date back to 1970." I guess they had an even wilder adventure than they remembered.
The rest of the day has passed rather uneventfully, save the sounds of children bickering and throwing fits. I feel like I've spent most of the time hiding out in my room or down in the basement. My mother thrives in the chaos of a house full of people; I on the other hand, do not. The evening is winding down, and while my brother darted out hours ago to say more goodbyes to friends, I have attempted to clean up. I'm sitting on the porch now listening to them all arguing in the house over what food to snack on and what movie to watch. I can hear my mother asking, "Where is your mother?" And I can't decide if I should chuckle because I've snuck away again, or grimace because this means they'll find me soon.
My son never napped today and his demeanor suggests he should have gone to sleep hours ago. My mother has been talking about the latest medication her doctor has prescribed for symptoms she probably doesn't need to be mediated for. Juliet, my daughter, has slipped into a mothering role as she scolds Romeo for sitting on the couch with an entire bag of chips instead if just filling a bowl. More arguing about whether he should eat them from a bowl or a ziplock bag. And now I hear them discussing the challenge of figuring out in what order everyone will shower. Oh the dilemmas! It's chaos. And it's family. And I just keep thinking, this too shall pass.....
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