Around the turn of the century - 19th to 20th, not 20th to 21st - my paternal great-grandmother was largely pregnant. She went into labor on April 1st and a doctor was summoned. With his assistance alone, in her home, she delivered not one but two healthy baby boys. The second baby had never shown up on the ultrasound, so this was a total surprise.
My paternal great-grandfather finished out his day in the coal mines and headed to the beer garden for happy hour. Just after ordering his second beer, a townsman ran into the bar and said, "I just talked to the doctor! You need to get home right now! Your wife just delivered twins!"
My great-grandfather - no-one's fool - laughed at the man. "Right. My wife delivered not one but TWO babies. Conveniently on APRIL FOOL'S DAY. And when my beer is full and in need of someone to drink it. I suppose you were planning on relieving me of that duty and having a nice long laugh at my expense. Not this guy, my friend. I am no-one's fool".
So he finished his beer and two more after it before paying his tab, gathering up his lunch pail, and heading for home.
Of course he went home to find my great-grandmother lying in bed with a baby in each arm.
And that is how my grandfather made his entrance into this world.
Oh! Oh! And did you catch my jokes? There were no ultrasounds in 1902!!! And, while everyone did indeed go to the bar - I mean, the beer garden - after working in the mines or the factories all day, I don't believe anyone ever referred to it as happy hour!!! Yeah, that's probably as good as I can do. Sad, isn't it? I am not great at fooling and am very good at being fooled. This is not traditionally my favorite day of the year...
It is, however, the one day of the year that I NEVER forget to think about my grandpa. RIP.
Also? I want a beer garden.
4 comments:
That's hilarious. Love it!!!
Question: does one need a green thumb for a beer garden?
This is a great April Fool's tale.
I'm not very good at fooling on this particular day either, probably because I raised my kids on so much fooling as a standard.
They can I.D. my nonsense fairly easily. Wah.
That's a good one! And man, would I love a beer garden, too.
I want a chocolate garden.
But not in summer.
Cause then it would be a lake.
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