The Island King and I were gone on a night shoot Tuesday night and as we drove into our neighborhood my phone rang.
It was the Youngest Island Boy, who was spending the night with my parents, and when I asked him what was up he said "It's bad Mom, real bad"
The tone of his voice made my heart stop and my mind started racing a mile a minute.
"What's wrong?"
"Me and Pop-Pop got arrested for spray painting graffiti on the bridge"
"You little joker - I almost believed you"
He got sort of choked up and said "You need to talk to Nay-Nay" and he handed the phone to my mother.
"Mom, what is going on? This isn't funny"
"No it's not!" she chokes out.
The Island King takes the phone out of my hand and asks her if she's joking and she tells him that she would never joke about something like this.
He gave the phone back to me just as we were pulling into the driveway and as we pull in the Oldest Island Boy comes running outside saying that we need to call Nay-Nay immediately because they called the house and something bad is wrong but they wouldn't tell him what.
Meanwhile, Mom is telling me that her and the Youngest are out in the parking lot of the police station and that my Dad is inside being booked.
AND...
The Youngest is being charged as well but instead of putting him in the back of the police car with Dad they let him ride with my Mom.
The Island King yanks the phone out of my hand and is talking to the Youngest and telling him that everything is going to be ok and not to be scared but he could tell the Youngest was really freaked out.
Then Mom says "Your Dad is coming out of the building now" and after a minute he gets on the phone.
"What in the hell is going on?!!!!"
"The Youngest said he wanted to spray paint the bridge so this was all his idea"
I can't even tell you how freaked out I was. The Island King and I were pacing and asking a million questions and very upset that our 10 year old was in trouble with the law - because of his grandfather!!!
Then my Dad said "Look, it's not that bad, the Youngest will have to go to before the judge in juvenile court but it'll be just like grown up court and he'll just have to pay the $200 fine"
That was the moment that I lost it.
"JUVENILE COURT?!!!"
The Island King is telling me to breathe and that maybe I should sit down but all I can think about is my 10 year old in juvenile court.
Dad tells me that this is all the Youngest Boy's fault because he wanted to do it and I'm yelling at the top of my lungs that HE'S 10 and he didn't drive himself there.
Then it occurred to me that it was really stupid of them to get caught.
"You were a police officer for 40 years - you know good and well that you need a lookout if you're committing a crime!"
He says my Mom was supposed to be the look out but she was looking out over the Bay and didn't see the police car come around the corner.
Seriously?
Mom gets back on the phone but at that point I was at complete overload and told her that I couldn't breathe and that I would have to call her back in a few minutes.
"What are we going to do?" she asks.
"Do? What are we going to do? My son has to go to juvenile court and my dad is in the police station being booked - I don't know what we're going to do!"
Again I tell her that I need to call her back because I can't breathe.
She says "Now honey, you need to calm down some. They were just making memories"
JUST MAKING MEMORIES?
"Why is it that when I was a kid and got into trouble it was trouble but now that Dad and the Youngest are in trouble it's called Making Memories?"
And at that moment her, my Dad and the Youngest all started laughing hysterically.
I'd been got.
BY MY MOTHER!
I would have expected something like this from Dad but never from her.
She says this is payback for all of the hell I gave her as a teenager.
Mom, I am truly impressed! You are an evil woman with a genius mind and all three of you deserve an Academy Award.
They kept the joke going long enough to erase any doubt we had and they never laughed or messed up once.
Later, Mom called back and said "You aren't mad at me are you? I just had an idea and we went with it."
No Mom, I am not mad. I am impressed beyond belief.
And I'm extremely relieved that Dad and the Youngest didn't get arrested!Labels: Done