It all started when the boys, 18 year old non-identical twins, decided to play a trick on their mother. Some would say it was a cruel joke, but they didn’t think it was at the time.
What they decided to do was tell their mother that they reported her to her superiors (for whatever made-up thing), in hopes that she’d be transferred back to California where the weather was perfect, instead of her current station in Alaska. The little pranksters even showed her the form they had filled out and had supposedly faxed to various points of authority.
Naturally, Amy freaked out and threw a fit at her boys, before breaking into tears.
That was when the prankster boys told her it was all a joke. They smoothed things over by immediately giving her flowers, chocolate, and a few small presents which they had kept hidden.
It was all for her 45th birthday. Amy took the joke well and gave her boys a massive hug, so relieved that they hadn’t betrayed her and jeopardized her hard earned career in the Air Force.
But what the boys hadn’t anticipated was that their mother was a tough woman. You had to be tough in order to be an Air Force mom who was still climbing the ranks.
So she did what her country demanded of her, which was to retaliate if the situation called for it…
After a month of consideration, she had finally hatched the perfect plan. She got her friend to print out a fake transfer order, stating that she’d be transferred to San Diego.
Then after breaking the news to her boys that it was fake, she’d soften the blow with gift cards for $200 each if they promise they wouldn’t play pranks anymore.
How spectacular this payback would be!
She waited until that night, after dinner, to unleash her plan. This would be revenge for all the pranks they had pulled over the years. Then she planned on explaining to them that the pranks have got to stop, and that they were becoming young men.
After they finished eating, without further ado, she launched the surprise attack.
“I think now is the perfect time to break the news,” she said, cracking a rare mischievous smile. “I just received this order today. And I don’t know how you’ll take it.”
She took the fake document and showed it to her boys.
She explained, “I’ve just been transferred to Southern California. It’ll be a big change for us, and I hope you guys are ready for this.”
She expected a tepid reaction followed by excitement. That’s when she’d let them know it was all a gag.
However, boys will be boys, and both Billy and Bobby were elated by the news. They were jumping up and down. They were beyond words and had already begun an early celebration at the thought of moving away from a cold place like Alaska.
Amy instantly regretted the prank upon seeing her boys so jubilant at the dining table. The poor boys had already started to discuss their moving plans. Amy knew she had to end this terrible prank, and fast!
“Actually, you two should have a closer look at the order,” she said, putting it down on the table. “It was a joke.”
She said the last part hesitantly, knowing this wasn’t going to end well.
The boys took a closer look at the paper and instantly realized it wasn’t real. Their jaws dropped and it was obvious their hearts were broken.
“It was a joke,” she said again, this time more softly. “It was partly revenge for the last prank you pulled on me. And it was partly to teach both of you that sometimes jokes can be hurtful. Can either of you say something?”
Both of them were stone faced for a while.
She added, “I also got you guys $200 gift cards for Amazon, each. You guys can buy plenty of things with that. Exciting, right?”
Amy took the gift cards out of her pocket and placed them on the table, in front of each of her sons.
“I think I’m going to my room,” Bobby said, getting up to leave in a somber tone.
Billy added, “Not cool mom. Not cool at all.”
He also got up and sadly left, leaving Amy to sit there alone, filled with remorse.
*
It was Billy’s turn to do the dishes that night. So he stood by the sink and washed everything. Normally he’d be making jokes and engaging in conversation with his mother, but he wasn’t in the mood.
“Talk to me,” she said, leaning against the kitchen counter while Billy did the dishes. “What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing,” he replied in a zombie-like tone. “Sorry we overreacted earlier. Thanks for the gift cards.”
He still couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact, instead focusing on getting the dishes done. Amy pressed closer.
“It seems like something important. I’m your mother. I know I’m always busy, but I’ll always be there for both of you. You can tell me anything.”
“You won’t like it.”
This alarmed her. “I mean it. Anything.”
Billy finished the dishes and turned the water off, then he faced his mother. His expression was neutral. He didn’t seem mad. But it was clear that there was a lot on his mind.
“It’s just that moving here to Alaska has been hard for us,” he tried to explain. “But we didn’t want to say anything because you’re so passionate about your military career. We want to support you 100%. So we kept quiet.”
She was stunned. “I… I had no idea. Really?”
“Yes, mom. We’re miserable here. It’s boring. That’s why we were so excited about the chance to move back to California.”
“I’m sorry.”
It felt like a massive punch to her gut. This came totally out of nowhere. All this time she had the wrong impression of how her sons felt. But there was more. And it only got worse.
“That’s why we play jokes all the time,” he explained. “There’s nothing else to do. We don’t fit in here. We’ve never had any girlfriends here. We belong in a place like California where we already have tons of like-minded friends.”
Amy gulped, “I’m so sorry. You should have told me.”
“We can’t. Being a ranking officer in the Air Force means everything to you. So we’ll never complain.”
He was right, too. Which was why this was so devastating to her. Most of her life was dedicated to the military.
“I’ll think of something,” she said, trying to console him in whatever way possible. “We can work through this.”
“It’s okay, mom. Seriously, we’ll be fine.”
Sensing his mother’s distress, he leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek, and thanked her again for the gift card before going upstairs to his room.
*
Amy’s mind was preoccupied the next day at the base. Her job was of the utmost importance to national security, so she kept focus on her tasks. But in between important duties, all she could think about were her boys. They meant everything to her.
In fact, that was a big motivator for her being so ambitious at her job. She was a patriot and wanted to do her part in global security. She had always done what she could to protect them from harm.
But at what cost? Now she realized that they hated living on the Alaskan base.
For her, she loved it. She was raised in a military family. She grew up in a similarly cold environment. Plus she spent most of her day on the base doing important work.
For her boys? She should have realized that life would be tough for boys who grew up in warm weather and socially active environments. They were popular back home. Here, they struggled making new friends and finding things to do with their free time.
Worse, boys their age should be out dating. Meeting girls. Gathering new experiences of love and heartbreak. It was all part of growing up, and they were missing it.
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