Siblings, Secrets, and Humor
Would You Boys Like an After-dinner Cigarette?
How had Dad discovered my brother’s secret?
When I was in the tenth grade, my younger brother brought his best friend, Dean, over for supper with our family. The twelve-year-olds laughed and giggled throughout the entire meal at the kitchen table.
My father was a congenial man with a positive attitude, a friendly smile, and witty humor. He could maintain a poker face, but as an ex-Marine, he could also exhibit a regimented and strict side.
After we finished eating, Dad got up and opened the cupboard. He reached in to retrieve a pack of cigarettes.
Turning toward my brother and his friend, he held out the red and white package. Then he addressed the youths, “Would you boys like an after-dinner cigarette?”
Dad’s question stunned us all, including my mother. Two jaws dropped, and they didn’t belong to Mom or me.
Shocked, the boys told us about their smoking escapade. But before they could beg for mercy, Dad explained how he had discovered their secret.
He had found the cigarette pack in the garage, hidden behind a wall stud. Somehow, he knew my brother and his friend were the culprits.
