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Brotherly Love/Hate

By
Real Estate Agent

Two of my sisters married into a family of practical jokers.  Their jokes ranged from the mild ones like moving each others cars in a parking lot to some more extreme cases like this one:

One evening when George was visiting my sister, he asked me if I wanted to go for a ride.  I was only about 10 or 11 at the time.  I remember it was dark when we drove to his brother Marc's house.  I was a little creeped out when he stopped the truck in the alley, got out, and unscrewed the light bulb from the security light on the garage ~ was I going to be involved in some sort of theft?

Then he had me help him carry something in a dark plastic bag over to the driveway and set it down in front of Marc's truck.  George opened the hood & disconnected the battery cable & bent down to open the plastic bag.  I looked down and was scared to hell & back when I saw a bloody dear head looking up at me!  Evidently a buddy had killed a dear on a hunting trip and George asked him for the head so he could play a "little joke."  He asked me to help him lift it up, but being a city kid who never went hunting, I was too freaked out to get close to it.

I watched while he lifted the head up, placed it next to the engine, & gently closed the hood.  When we got out of the driveway, George screwed the security light back in.  We drove around the block and went to the front door.  Inside, George tried several things to try and get Marc to go drive his truck but nothing worked.  We had to give up and go home.

The next night George was visiting again when Marc came to the door.  He was hunched to his right and limping slightly.  His face was red and there was a vein bulging on his forehead.

He was off work & didn't drive that morning, but his wife asked him to go to the store for her that night.  As George planned, Marc's truck wouldn't start.  When he opened the hood to check the battery, he saw in the shadow a huge head staring up at him.  Evidently, he jumped backyard, landed on his chain-link fence and flipped ass over teakettle.  The fence gouged his back and bruised his ribs.  It was over a month before Marc could walk upright again.

The amazing thing is that he was only mad for that day.  These guys had been doing this stuff all their lives and it was just how they played.  Marc new that he would have a chance for vengeance.

They really do live by the "Don't Get Mad...Get Even" philosophy.

Comments(10)

Sherry Scales
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Leander, TX
Realtor, for Austin, TX and surrounding areas

That philosophy has always worked for me. I have two brothers, and we all married practical jokers too. 

Oct 20, 2008 04:12 PM
Cheryl Powell - The Powell Team
Southern Homes of The Carolinas - The Powell Team - Harrisburg, NC
Concord,Harrisburg & Charlotte NC Area Real Estate

I'm married to a practical joker too...  he's his own biggest fan!

Oct 20, 2008 04:35 PM
Mark Duncan
Olympia, WA

These guys have been trying to hurt, mame, & embarass each other since before puberty.  Now in their 40's & 50's, they're still at it.  They get in real trouble if one of the wives accidently gets caught in one of their pranks.

Oct 21, 2008 02:58 AM
Laurie Logan
Keller Williams Realty, Inc., Broker Associate - Madison, WI
South Central WI Real Estate

Oh Mark,

I don't know if I could take that... good thing I didn't marry a practical joker.

Take care,      Laurie

Oct 21, 2008 03:13 AM
Mark Duncan
Olympia, WA

The amazing thing is that 2 of them have been married for over 20 years.  The third (the one who is not married to one of my sisters) got divorced at about 20 years.  The most obnoxious one of the bunch has been married to my second-oldest sister for about 30 years!  But she holds her own :)

Oct 21, 2008 03:20 AM
Lara O'Keefe
North Texas Home Finders - McKinney, TX

Mark, better them that me. I love a good joke, but practical jokes tend to get out of hand and someone's bound to get hurt. Although, I must admit that the deer joke was very creative.

Nov 28, 2008 03:49 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

Sounds like some of the things that My family has pulled...You gotta love them!

Nov 28, 2008 04:08 AM
Mark Duncan
Olympia, WA

Lara, it's extremely funny when you're a spectator but, like you, I don't think I would want to be involved.  I worry too much about someone getting hurt.

William, you're family must be a kick!

Nov 28, 2008 04:46 AM
Erby Crofutt
B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com) - Lexington, KY
The Central Kentucky Home Inspector, Lexington KY

Don't get mad!

Don't get even!

Get Ahead!

 

At least that's what I practice with my brothers and our practical jokes.

Nov 28, 2008 10:24 AM
Mark Duncan
Olympia, WA

Erby, that sounds about right.  With these guys there is never "even"  They are just constantly trying to out-do each other.  One of the three is divorced...I'm sure this has something to do with it.

Nov 28, 2008 02:29 PM