Tag: family

About the Author, Story Time

Family Storytime: Mom The Eye Roller

KC J. Hutchins

            Many moons have passed since last I wrote on my own blog. You may notice I started to post TikTok videos on here. Now, while that is all good fun, I must remain true to my roots, which means more stories! Thank you for your patience and without further ado…

            My mother noticed my string of stories a while ago. Giggling at how my brother and cousin received their titles in my phone. However, she soon came to the realization she might be next. I brushed it off at the time saying I was absorbed in writing and marketing at the moment…

            So, my family loves to play games. The favorite of my late grandfather were card games. At least once a week, we’d come together to go a few rounds. One such evening we were gathered around. Smiling and enjoying one’s company until we heard that familiar tone from my grandmother. She’d come up with a new task to add to the never-ending list of hers. Now, try to understand my mom worked full to overtime in a sucky company as the head of a department. Only keeping the job to support not only us, but our grandparents who lived with us. As it was, we took care of some of their basic needs to run a home. Meaning stuff like moving pellets, mowing the yard, shoveling driveway, etc. The usual around the house stuff which those in older years couldn’t do well anymore. This gave very little time for my mother to find rest.

            Now, my mother possesses this ability to be unbelievably kind and professional to everyone she meets. This follows through with her conversations with people who might not deserve it. This is an amazing part of her personality although can hinder her own happiness, but I digress. However, there is a crack in this armor of hers. When she is very annoyed or upset, her eyes will roll.

            The biggest of these occurred at the very moment my grandmother requested her ridiculous task. (What this was I couldn’t tell you. Vaguely, I’d say moving everything in and out of several closets to organize and clean them during the work week.) Wind came off those eyes from the speed.

My grandmother responded thusly, “I hate when you do that.”

“Do what?” Responded my mother.

With a huff, she shot back, “Roll your eyes. It’s very annoying.”

My mother took a moment. Looking around the room with a face like a child found with a hand in the cookie jar.

“… You can see that?”

Silence fell over that room so quick before laughter broke it. We all let her know between giggles the important information.

Her only response was, “Oh.” Before settling back down to play the game.

This moment of levity seemed to settle my grandmother down, and consequently made her forget about the little task.

Thus, my mother was known as The Eye Roller.

Story Time

Family Storytime: Naked Cheeseburger Boy and Root Beer Snot

KC J. Hutchins

Back in the years of elementary school, my family used to go to fast food more often. You know, back when it was cheaper. To age myself, when there were actually items costing only a dollar. While hanging with my cousin, best friend, maybe my brother, and other childhood friends, my dad offered to take us there. We drive up to the menu and my dad turns back to ask what we want. Completely serious, my best friend asked for a cheeseburger without cheese. We started cracking up.
I say between laughs, “You mean a hamburger?”
My friend looked at me, then my dad, and simply said, “Yes.”
He realized what he’d said and was just trying to smooth it over.

Fast forward to sitting down and eating our stuff. My best friend starts making fun of some of our friend’s meals. I suspect to make his little incident less silly.
My dad shot back, Sure, Naked Cheeseburger Boy.”
We all lost ourselves in laughter… my cousin so much so his root beer came shooting out of his nose.
My dad turned on him and declared, “And Root Beer Snot is here to join you.”
We were all on the ground from the laughter. He gave names to the others, but I don’t remember them. (No, I didn’t get one. I was boring as a kid and only ordered chicken nuggets and French fries.) However, the legend of Naked Cheeseburger Boy and Root Beer Snot live on… the story surfacing every so often to give us a laugh.

About the Author, Story Time

Family Storytime: Cousin’s Crunchy Chicken Tenders

KC J. Hutchins

Hanging around my family during the past holiday gave me another story. This was given to me by my cousin. As I’ve mentioned before, the town I grew up in hosted a midway during the 4th of July. This would include food trucks. So, as we were walking around my cousin became hungry. We joined him in line for the truck. I think we were the second or third in line at the time. He placed his order, and they said it be like a ten-minute wait. Shrugging, we stood by him to receive the food. The time comes and goes… no tenders. We wait another ten minutes… Still nothing. My cousin goes to check in… They say another ten minutes. Almost everyone else in the line received their food, including someone who ordered chicken tenders behind us. We complained about this to the staff who stated it must’ve been a mistake. We shook our heads and tried to reason with my cousin. At this point, we urged him to demand a refund. However, he pointed out we waited this long already. We shrugged and continued talking.

Now, one of my friends possessed a habit of talking with his hands. In the middle of his story the truck finally announces the food is done while saying it was the last order of the night. My cousin picked up the food, turned around, and his food was immediately struck out of his hands. My friend whacked the tenders by accident. He looked at his hands, down at the ground, back at my cousin, and booked it. My cousin just looked at the ground and let out a long sigh. He picked the food up to dispose of in the trash. Before throwing them out, two old men said they’d eat them. My cousin came to the conclusion if they’d eat them… He should eat them. To this day, he calls them the crunchiest chicken tenders he’s ever eaten.