An Easter Memory

I'm not sure how old I was when this happened, but I'd guess late elementary or early middle school. Mom, Dad, Scotty and I were visiting Grandma and Grandpa Maynard in Florida. As Cris, Dusty and Chad got older and their social lives became more rooted and involved, they stayed home from family trips, and Scotty and I went with Mom and Dad. It's weird, but I used to feel like I had two families: there was the whole clan, and then there were just the four of us. When I think about certain events, I automatically try to recall which family I was with at the occurrence. It helps me organize memories. But I'm off track. The point is, I was with family number two, which is why my older brothers don't appear in this story.

Anyway, it was getting close to Easter, and Grandpa liked to pretend that the Easter Bunny was lurking around the house in the days leading up to Easter Sunday. Everywhere Scotty and I would go, we'd find random chocolate eggs lying around, and when we'd go to pick them up, Grandpa would say, That Bunny is at it again. It was silly and fun, and Scotty I loved hunting for new eggs, knowing Grandpa was behind it all, but playing along with the Easter Bunny joke.

One morning, I woke up on the pullout couch next to Scotty, who was still asleep. I usually sleep on my back and make absolutely no movement throughout the night. Scotty on the other hand is a flailer, and by morning is positioned face down, deeply snuggled into his pillow. As I propped myself up, rubbing sleep from my eyes, I noticed chocolate eggs placed next to my pillow, just waiting for me to wake up and start eating them. I smiled to myself, thinking, That Bunny is at it again. As I started to get up, I looked over at Scotty and noticed the Easter Bunny had visited him too, but the Bunny hadn't counted on the inevitable flailing that would occur throughout the night. Chocolate was everywhere! The pillow was smeared brown, not to mention the top part of the sheets. I don't remember if I woke Scotty up right then, or if I waited for him to wake up on his own, but in any case, when he did wake up and lifted his head, there was chocolate inside his ear! I hollered for everyone to come see, and Dad I and laughed really hard. Scotty was a good sport and thought the whole thing was really funny too. He and I asked Grandpa why he would put chocolate in bed with us, but Grandpa denied it up and down. He always maintained that it had been the Easter Bunny.