Open My Eyes

Four: Dramatic Nothing

I laughed, trying to imagine my utterly poetic brother typing away at a blog. I shrugged and said, "Sure, send me a link. When are you gonna finish this class anyway?"

"Couple of weeks, tops. I'll be back for your birthday," he promised firmly.

"Speaking of, did you already buy my present?"

Kae was notorious for buying gifts early. One year, he bought my birthday present shortly after Christmas. His excuse was he might forget to get it if he didn't buy it right then. It made a certain amount of sense, but he often went overboard. He also used the excuse he might forget the actual event, like Christmas or a birthday, but Kae never forgot anything of that sort. Take for example his fifth grade science fair project: everyone already knew he would win, so Mom was supposed to bring a camera. Of course, she forgot, but Kae took out a camera from his pocket and gave it to her. He told her he brought it along just in case she forgot.

My brother laughed loudly into the phone. He answered, trying to be vague but achieving only obviousness, "Maybe."

I rolled my eyes and leaned against the wall at the head of my bed. "Which is another way of saying yes. What'd you get me?" I inquired enthusiastically.

"Do you honestly expect me to tell you?" he countered, still chuckling lightly.

A broad smile appeared on my face as I replied, "Maybe."

We laughed a moment, and I felt a twinge in my heart. I sighed and let my eyes fall to the ground. I confessed quietly, "I miss you, Kae. I want you home."

"I know. I miss you too," he replied just as quietly. "I'll be home soon, sis. Besides, you have plenty of things to distract you: Sam, the William kid, work."

My face contorted at the thought of William as a distraction and what Sam would have to say about that. I shook it away and pointed out, "You have distractions too, specifically a lady named Dolly."

He warned, "Don't you dare make a smartass remark on her name."

"Don't tempt me," I threatened, smirking mischievously. I lost the playful tone as I asked, "How's the girlfriend anyway?"

"Fine. We got coffee yesterday. She wants to take me horseback riding sometime soon, but I'll only go if she tags along to a slam."

Rolling my eyes, I queried, "You still go to those poetry slams?"

He started attending poetry slams his junior year of high school, but he only submitted his stuff under an alias. Now that he was an overt poet, he used his real name. But I hadn't expected him to continue attending the slams all through college.

"Yeah," he answered matter-of-factly. Smug, he informed me, "I've got quite the fan pool going, and it's getting bigger. So I'm taking Dolly to one to impress her."

I chuckled at his hopelessness. "Doesn't Dolly go home during the summer, or is she taking a summer course too?"

"Nah, she lives here now."

A loud bang sounded on the other line, and Kae pulled the phone away from his mouth to laugh and taunt, "Way to go, Jeremy."

I heard his roommate yell back, "Shut up, Kae. And don't mind me. Keep having phone sex with your girl."

I gasped as my brother told him, "I'm talking to my sister, dumbass."

Jeremy paused and then drawled, "Well, that's awkward."