Easter/April Fool's Day Chronicle

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Easter/April Fool’s Day

An R.L. Mathewson Chronicle

“Yeah, we’re not doing it,” Cole said, shaking his head as they looked at the group of men grinning before glancing back out the window at the large backyard covered in Easter eggs, chocolate, and the typical Bradford Easter goodies that could only be considered a minefield at this point.

“Is there something wrong?” his father asked, blinking innocently as Cole stood there, thinking about the empty shaving cream cans, glitter bottles, glue bottles, egg cartons, and paint cans that he’d found as he narrowed his eyes on his father.

“April Fool’s,” he simply said, daring his father and uncles to try and lie to him, because they weren’t falling for this.

Not this time.

“We know,” Joshua said with a glare.

“And we’re not falling for it,” Mathew said, folding his arms over his chest while Jonathan grabbed a fudge brownie off one of the many platters of goodies covering every surface of the living and kitchen, dropped down on the couch and said, “We’re too old for this anyway.”

Nodding in agreement, Elizabeth and Jessica joined him on the couch with their Easter baskets, the same ones that their mothers had put together and ensured them that their fathers hadn’t gone near. Keeping his eyes on the men in his family, he noted the way their shoulders slumped and their smiles became frowns and decided that they’d made the right dec-

“I’ll do it,” poor misguided, too-trusty Mikey said with a shrug as she grabbed one of the empty baskets his mother had put out for them and headed for the door with Sebastian joining her with a shrug while he stood there, shaking his head, because they really should know better by now.

Instead, they were willingly walking into whatever trap his father and Uncles had set. For a second there, Cole considered warning them, but what was the point? Sebastian knew what he was getting into better than most since his father was usually the ringleader behind their April Fool’s pranks. No, they were on their own, he decided as he grabbed his Easter basket and sat down next to his cousin, satisfied with the knowledge that they’d outsmarted his father and uncles.

*-*-*-*-*

“How long do you think we have until they figure it out?” Mikey asked as they walked around Sebastian’s backyard, picking up Easter eggs, solid chocolate bunnies, and a few oversized plastic eggs filled with gift cards, money, and homemade coupons guaranteeing the finder a weekend free of chores.

“It’s hard to say,” Sebastian said as he glanced back at the house, noting that their mothers and aunts were still sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, nibbling on the spread that Aunt Kasey had put out, and throwing them curious looks before he glanced back at the living room patio doors, noting the disappointed looks on their fathers and uncles faces.

“Do you think they’ll be mad?” Mikey asked as she picked up the large blue egg that he’d been eying, but since she’d spent most of the night helping him outmaneuver their fathers, he decided to let her have it.

“What about Cole and the rest of them?” she asked, tossing the blue egg to him as she worried her bottom lip and followed his gaze to the living room where his siblings and cousins were devouring their Easter baskets, completely oblivious to the change of plans.

“Oh, they’re going to kill us,” he said, shooting her a wink as he walked over old oak tree that where his father had hid a particularly nasty glitter bomb and picked up the Reese’s peanut butter cup Easter bunny and tossed it to Mikey, who caught it with a sigh as she gestured towards the house, “They’re headed towards the garage.”

“I see,” he said, nodding even as he decided that perhaps it was time to wrap this up.

“My room?” Mikey asked, obviously coming to the same conclusion.

“Sounds good,” he said, hefting the heavy Easter basket higher as they headed towards her house.

They just barely made it to the driveway when the yelling began.

“Son of a bitch!”

“What the hell is this?”

“Sebastian!” his father yelled, quickly coming to the realization that he’d been behind the switch.

“And it’s time to run,” he said, reaching over and grabbing her hand as they ran for their lives, hoping that the glitter bombs they’d rigged to the garage door were enough to save them.

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