This is Your Moooothaaaaahhhh

We’re standing at the register, almost done buying our groceries around 11pm at night. It’s a holiday. There is no one else in the store. The kids are tired but not too. It hasn’t been a bad grocery run, as grocery runs go. And we’re almost done and ready to fall in to our respective beds.

I hear a strange noise coming from a few feet away and down the isle. It sounds like heavy breathing. It is heavy breathing. It’s Tony. With his head in a Darth Vader helmet that is supposed to change your voice to sound all robotic and what not. His big brother Devon immediately goes over to take it away from him. After all, it’s his right as Big Brother to take anything away at any time with little to no reproach. And take it he does.

Anthony meanders over to where we are at the checkout. The woman has really finished scanning and the transaction is almost complete. I half heartedly say, ‘Dev. Let’s go.’ not really believing that he can hear me or that he is going to come over. I figure he’ll notice we are gone after his 20th ‘Luke. I am your faaaaaaathaaaaaahhhh’ and come out to us in the parking lot where we will undoubtedly still be loading groceries in the car.

‘What’s his name?’ asks the checker-woman.
‘Devon.’ and I smile and slightly sigh.
Without missing a beat, she plucks up the phone-intercom and says over the speaker system, ‘Devon. Your Mommy and Daddy are waiting for you at the register. Devon, please come to the register.’

Any 16 year old in their right mind would die. And he almost did. He ripped off the helmet, his face glowing red, and walked out the store muttering, ‘at least there are no people here…’ while we all suppressed our giggles.

I didn’t know whether to slap her or give her a high-five. It was one of those moments you cherish but in a weird way since you really had nothing to do with it but you’ll somehow reap the benefit.