and rubbed. “Usually I just stick to da earl grey, but dem teas . . . sound too good not ta-try.”
Lilly kept working. “Well, earl grey is so popular because when done right, it is the most distinctively flavored and aromatic of all teas, and when done wrong . . .” She looked up. “Usually still drinkable.”
Thinking about it for a moment he realized his sisters could not make a pot of tea using store bought bags, but you could still drink it if that’s all there was. “Yeah, dat is true, sort of,” he nodded.
Going into her fridge and returning with unlabeled Tupperware and a jug of water she continued working on her specialties. “You have to start with cold filtered water,” she said pouring it into a pot. Turning on the burner she waited for it to get red. “We first boil the water, then fill the tea pot up and swish it around to heat. Then we dump that water out and put the remainder of the boiled water in.”
He looked at her curiously. “But you be wasting all dat water.”
Raising her finger his eyes widened curiously. “Watch and learn,” she said and they continued to watch as the burner became red.
THREE: Remember the Alamo
Back at the book store Nathan held a piece of drywall up against the wall as Bo ran his finger across the smooth surface and found the slightest difference in elevation. Taking a nail with his thumb he pushed it through the drywall and into the stud. Following the stud straight up he pressed nails into the drywall until it was able to stand on its own.
Standing back he nodded his approval and turned to his brother. “So glad your back Nathan,” Bo said.
“Honestly between you and me, I was getting home sick,” he confessed. Slapping Bo on the shoulder he held up another piece of drywall.
Grabbing some more drywall nails Bo began the process all over again. “I don’t know how you do it, I’m already home sick and I’ve only been gone for a few hours.”
“Sometimes it’s just nice to go away for a while you know?”
“No,” Bo replied without missing a beat. “But I know how upset Mom and Dad get when you go away for a long time.”
“I know Bo,” he said.
Grabbing another handful of nails he continued. “Running off here and running off there, fighting in wars and such.”
Smiling as the memories started vividly popping in his head he tried to remind his brother, “Remember how mad Dad was when you went away?”
Putting the last nail into that particular piece of drywall Bo paused to think. It took him a little longer than most but he began to chuckle and remembered. “Yeah . . . that was fun.”
“I know. Now do you remember how nice it was being on your own?” he asked steering him to his point.
Signaling his brother to grab another piece of drywall Bo waited. Bringing it back Nathan held it in place as he took a nail and placed it in his fingers where the stud was and pushed it through with his thumb then recalled. “But I wasn’t alone. You and Louis were with me.”
“I know, but we were on our own, no Mom, no Dad.”
He smiled. “No Maggie. No Serenity.”
“War probably would have been over sooner if Maggie came with us,” Nathan mused.
“Louis probably would’ve defected to the other side,” Bo added.
“Now that I could see,” he agreed.
Bo stood up straight to attention and shouted to the ceiling in his best German accent. “Tod meiner Schwester,” he said still staring to the ceiling and standing still.
Nathan knew his brother said “Death to my Sister” and laughed.
Bo started to chuckle. “How many wars we fight in?” he asked trying to separate them in his head. Grabbing another handful of nails he nodded his head towards the drywall sheets.
“Four together,” he replied grabbing another piece. “And Mom and Dad always worried about their fragile little Bo,” he finished teasingly setting it up on the wall.
Bending back down Bo started pushing the nails into the new piece. “I’m just
Lilly kept working. “Well, earl grey is so popular because when done right, it is the most distinctively flavored and aromatic of all teas, and when done wrong . . .” She looked up. “Usually still drinkable.”
Thinking about it for a moment he realized his sisters could not make a pot of tea using store bought bags, but you could still drink it if that’s all there was. “Yeah, dat is true, sort of,” he nodded.
Going into her fridge and returning with unlabeled Tupperware and a jug of water she continued working on her specialties. “You have to start with cold filtered water,” she said pouring it into a pot. Turning on the burner she waited for it to get red. “We first boil the water, then fill the tea pot up and swish it around to heat. Then we dump that water out and put the remainder of the boiled water in.”
He looked at her curiously. “But you be wasting all dat water.”
Raising her finger his eyes widened curiously. “Watch and learn,” she said and they continued to watch as the burner became red.
THREE: Remember the Alamo
Back at the book store Nathan held a piece of drywall up against the wall as Bo ran his finger across the smooth surface and found the slightest difference in elevation. Taking a nail with his thumb he pushed it through the drywall and into the stud. Following the stud straight up he pressed nails into the drywall until it was able to stand on its own.
Standing back he nodded his approval and turned to his brother. “So glad your back Nathan,” Bo said.
“Honestly between you and me, I was getting home sick,” he confessed. Slapping Bo on the shoulder he held up another piece of drywall.
Grabbing some more drywall nails Bo began the process all over again. “I don’t know how you do it, I’m already home sick and I’ve only been gone for a few hours.”
“Sometimes it’s just nice to go away for a while you know?”
“No,” Bo replied without missing a beat. “But I know how upset Mom and Dad get when you go away for a long time.”
“I know Bo,” he said.
Grabbing another handful of nails he continued. “Running off here and running off there, fighting in wars and such.”
Smiling as the memories started vividly popping in his head he tried to remind his brother, “Remember how mad Dad was when you went away?”
Putting the last nail into that particular piece of drywall Bo paused to think. It took him a little longer than most but he began to chuckle and remembered. “Yeah . . . that was fun.”
“I know. Now do you remember how nice it was being on your own?” he asked steering him to his point.
Signaling his brother to grab another piece of drywall Bo waited. Bringing it back Nathan held it in place as he took a nail and placed it in his fingers where the stud was and pushed it through with his thumb then recalled. “But I wasn’t alone. You and Louis were with me.”
“I know, but we were on our own, no Mom, no Dad.”
He smiled. “No Maggie. No Serenity.”
“War probably would have been over sooner if Maggie came with us,” Nathan mused.
“Louis probably would’ve defected to the other side,” Bo added.
“Now that I could see,” he agreed.
Bo stood up straight to attention and shouted to the ceiling in his best German accent. “Tod meiner Schwester,” he said still staring to the ceiling and standing still.
Nathan knew his brother said “Death to my Sister” and laughed.
Bo started to chuckle. “How many wars we fight in?” he asked trying to separate them in his head. Grabbing another handful of nails he nodded his head towards the drywall sheets.
“Four together,” he replied grabbing another piece. “And Mom and Dad always worried about their fragile little Bo,” he finished teasingly setting it up on the wall.
Bending back down Bo started pushing the nails into the new piece. “I’m just
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