Why My Kids Will Never Forget When They “Forgot” Me

This post is part of a synchrobog in which we recount our favorite prank. The links to the other writer’s contributions are listed at the end of this post.

After work, the kids and I met Patty at Giordano’s, a deep dish, Chicago-style pizza place in a neighboring suburb. Upon concluding our consumption of the weighty pizza, I excused myself to use the men’s room. When I came out, the kids were gone. Nathan rode home with Michelle, who had just gotten her driver’s license. Driving was still fun for her.

At first, I didn’t see anybody, then I spotted Patty who informed me that Michelle and Nathan had left and were going to the video store. (Kinda dates the story.) I replied, They could have waited a minute to let me know what they were doing and say goodbye.

When Patty and I arrived home (while the kids were still at the video store), we had a flash of inspiration and hatched a plan.

As they came in the back door looking for me to give them some money, since they discovered they didn’t have enough to rent a movie, I snuck out the front door and laid on the floorboard between the second and third row of seats in our Chevy Astro van.

Patty asked them, Where’s your Dad? They replied, Didn’t he come home with you? She said, Well, I don’t see him, do you?

When they got into the back into the van, they were giggling and talking about how funny it was they forgot their dad. It was so hard for me not to laugh, as I lay on the back floor of my van, admiring the beauty of our plan.

Only one question ran through my mind, When do I sit up and reveal my presence? I didn’t want to cause my newly licensed daughter to have a car accident. So I decided to do so as she backed out of our long driveway onto the not-very-busy residential street. I sat up and didn’t say a word. She immediately saw me in the rear view mirror and let out a blood-curdling scream that Patty could hear inside of the house.

It was pure beauty!

Other writers on this topic include:

• You Had To Be There by Liz Dyer
• The Date Jesus Will Return by Jeremy Myer
• Satan, The Prank That Never Worked by Loveday
• Satan’s Prank On Man by Loveday