My cousins / pseudo-siblings are lounging about the bedroom as I type out this post. They're playing with the dog, trying out cartridges in our old Game Boy, and singing modified nursery rhymes. I can't help but laugh as I listen to them.


This brings to mind a conversation we were having a few weeks back. It all started when KD and Chrisy --- two of my cousins in case you were wondering --- decided to play mancala at lunchtime.

Ken, KD's big brother, then comes in from their house next door to make KD eat lunch with him.

"You're playing now?" Ken asked. KD looked up from where he was crouched on the floor.

"Yes. What's wrong with that?" KD answered. Jonny (Chrisy's brother) and I just watched them as we inhaled large amounts of spaghetti at Jonny's kitchen table.

"It's lunchtime! Come eat with me!"

"No."

"KD!"

"No, I'm not very hungry. You eat first if you like." KD stopped looking at Ken, and started concentrating on his mancala pieces.

"Please, KD!"

"You go first."

"But I'm hungry!"

"Go first!" Jonny and I were trying not to laugh. Ken started pacing around the mancala players.

"Your turn, KD," Chrisy announced as if Ken wasn't throwing daggers at KD with his glare. KD started putting his pieces into place.

"But I'll feel so alone," Ken admitted. There was an awkward pause before I started humming a sad song.

Lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely...

Ken shook his head and left. The game continued without distractions while Jonny and I ate more spaghetti.

The front door then opened. Again.

"I thought you went first!"

"We have hotdogs, KD," Ken said in the manner of the Devil enticing a hapless passerby into sin.

KD shrugged.

"CHEESEDOGS!"

"OK, just eat first," KD said.

"But I might finish the food before you get back!"

"Then I'll eat something else." Suddenly, Chrisy started crowing like a hen that had just laid a basket of eggs.

"I'M WINNING! OH YEAH!"

"Aah!" KD shouted. Chrisy started cackling in a disturbing hag-like manner.

"Aah!" KD repeated. "I'm going home!"

"Yes!" Ken pumped his fist in the air.

"Or maybe not," KD added. "I'll beat you, Chris!"

"KD! Please!" KD looked at his brother in slight disgust. He then sighed.

"I'll be back after lunch," he announced. I just laughed.

"You know," Jonny called after them, "it's fun to eat alone. No one will make you diet."

"Uh-huh," I added. "You can eat everything, Ken!"

"Still!" Ken shot back before closing the front door.

Those same cousins are calling me down for dinner now, so I guess this ends my post. 'Til next time!

My cousins / pseudo-siblings are lounging about the bedroom as I type out this post. They're playing with the dog, trying out cartridges in our old Game Boy, and singing modified nursery rhymes. I can't help but laugh as I listen to them.


This brings to mind a conversation we were having a few weeks back. It all started when KD and Chrisy --- two of my cousins in case you were wondering --- decided to play mancala at lunchtime.

Ken, KD's big brother, then comes in from their house next door to make KD eat lunch with him.

"You're playing now?" Ken asked. KD looked up from where he was crouched on the floor.

"Yes. What's wrong with that?" KD answered. Jonny (Chrisy's brother) and I just watched them as we inhaled large amounts of spaghetti at Jonny's kitchen table.

"It's lunchtime! Come eat with me!"

"No."

"KD!"

"No, I'm not very hungry. You eat first if you like." KD stopped looking at Ken, and started concentrating on his mancala pieces.

"Please, KD!"

"You go first."

"But I'm hungry!"

"Go first!" Jonny and I were trying not to laugh. Ken started pacing around the mancala players.

"Your turn, KD," Chrisy announced as if Ken wasn't throwing daggers at KD with his glare. KD started putting his pieces into place.

"But I'll feel so alone," Ken admitted. There was an awkward pause before I started humming a sad song.

Lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely...

Ken shook his head and left. The game continued without distractions while Jonny and I ate more spaghetti.

The front door then opened. Again.

"I thought you went first!"

"We have hotdogs, KD," Ken said in the manner of the Devil enticing a hapless passerby into sin.

KD shrugged.

"CHEESEDOGS!"

"OK, just eat first," KD said.

"But I might finish the food before you get back!"

"Then I'll eat something else." Suddenly, Chrisy started crowing like a hen that had just laid a basket of eggs.

"I'M WINNING! OH YEAH!"

"Aah!" KD shouted. Chrisy started cackling in a disturbing hag-like manner.

"Aah!" KD repeated. "I'm going home!"

"Yes!" Ken pumped his fist in the air.

"Or maybe not," KD added. "I'll beat you, Chris!"

"KD! Please!" KD looked at his brother in slight disgust. He then sighed.

"I'll be back after lunch," he announced. I just laughed.

"You know," Jonny called after them, "it's fun to eat alone. No one will make you diet."

"Uh-huh," I added. "You can eat everything, Ken!"

"Still!" Ken shot back before closing the front door.

Those same cousins are calling me down for dinner now, so I guess this ends my post. 'Til next time!