I went to visit my sister-in-law over the weekend with my younger brother and my son. She had gathered some things that she thought we would have wanted from my late brother, her husband. I know it has been a hard time for all of us, especially her, as my older brother was the love of her life. I try to stay in touch with her, as she is really more like a little sister, than a sister-in-law. She had informed me that while she was going through these things that once belonged to him, she couldn't stop crying. I felt bad for her and when she asked could I arrange for someone to pick up the roll desk that may brother had that once belonged to my late father I got on the phone and enlisted my younger brother to go with me since he has a SUV. She later texted to asked if we were going to stay a while and go to dinner. Of course we would, my brother loves food, and even more than that, he loves when someone else pays.
My son decided at the last minute that he would accompany us on the forty-five minute trip, since he had never been. On the way to her condo we laughed and joked about things we did with our older brother(and uncle). After a while, I thought about what could we do to make her smile and let her enjoy the time we were there. Then I realized, just being our jovial selves were all she was looking for.
We finally arrived and she greeted us at the door. We sat down and watched television for a few moments and looked at the sweatshirt she had purchased of the art my son had created. She decided she wanted to go outside and sit in the steps. Before going she offered water or wine, or whatever she had in the refrigerator. I knew we were hungry and needed a snack so we went to her office a few yards away where we had coffee, chips and party leftovers from the night before. We stayed there a while a talked, played pool, while my son sketched.
I knew that it was time, an hour later, to go for dinner, as the party leftovers were too greasy and we needed a meal. We agreed t go to Bravo's, an Italian restaurant that she and I had gone to when we spent the week working out the plans for my brother's funeral. It began raining and she got me to run in to save a table. W\hen I got to the door, I saw all of these people who were obviously there for prom dinners. Young ladies in their gowns and young men in their tuxedos. I called her and told her that that place was a no go, but I had to maneuver get back to her SUV, as by now it was pouring down raining. Once I finally got back to her automobile, my brother had suggested that we go to Logan's Roadhouse, which was in another part of the shopping area.
My sister-in-law revealed that she had gone their once with my older brother and told us that the food was alright. We entered and was led to out booth. As soon as we reached the booth my son pointed out the peanut shells all over the floor. I had a feeling that this was the norm for this place, as shells were EVERYWHERE we looked.
We placed our orders and while the waitress was gone I began eating the peanuts that were in a little bucket in the center of the table. As I ate the peanuts I would throw the shells on the floor. At first I was trying to be discreet about it since I had never experience anything like this before and my sister-in-law had informed me that it was alright.
So I ate and threw shells on the floor. This was so fun and liberating. I started thinking about how my mother would have had a field day, shells on the floor, insane. She would have wanted somebody to come and clean the floors. My brother would laugh at me every time I threw the shells on the floor. My sister-in-law thought it was funny and it was good to see her laugh, even if it was because I was doing something silly.
The dinner had come to and end and it was time to go home and my sister-in-law had to babysit one of her grandchildren. We all hug, as it continued to rain, drizzling by this time. The promise that we would do that again soon, to cut up and act silly just to make her smile.
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