FINAL THOUGHT

COMMENTARY

The joke’s on me

How April Fool’s Day was forever ruined..

STORY: ROXANNE BROWN

hen April 1 comes around, and I hear of people pranking one another, I just wince. Since childhood, I haven’t been able to really play a joke on anyone. I don’t like the planning process, and it’s not worth all the trouble for a moment of laughter at someone else’s expense.

Who am I kidding? I love pranking people, or at least I used to. It’s totally satisfying when a prank goes as planned, completely ba es, and successfully scares the bejesus out of someone, which is why I am completely scarred for life.

Let me rewind a little, so you’ll understand…

I, about 10, and my little sister, about three years younger than me, decided we’d scare our parents.

We thought of hiding somewhere, then popping out at the perfect moment, but the waiting time was unappealing. We also considered forging an “F” at the top of a school assignment, or pretending my sister was hurt, which would have been easy since her alligator tears were notorious for getting me into trouble, but those pranks seemed boring.

Instead, we decided on utilizing an old alarm clock we had, that when triggered, let out the most annoying, loud chirping sound.

My sister and I set it for like 4 a.m., moved our parents’ dresser, and hid the clock between it and the wall, thinking it would startle them awake, force them to get up, nd it; at which time, we would run in, yell, “APRIL FOOL’S DAY,” laugh with them, and ‘Voila!’ Our elaborate, and innocent prank!

But the scenario didn’t quite unfold that way.

My sister slept with me, and waking up super early, we giggled in anticipation waiting for the thing to go o , and when it did, my parents woke up alright. For some reason, however, the alarm, maybe mu ed by something, sounded faint, and almost surreal, or menacing even.

Then, my mom, with full-on morning hair, and exaggeratedly yelling, “I think it’s coming from inside the walls,” comes running into my room looking traumatized, and ushers us into the living room for safety reasons. My dad gets on the phone and summons a neighbor for help.

Finally, my sister starts bawling, then I get nervous, so I tell them it’s just the silly alarm clock we hid going o , and geez!

I thought my mom’s glare was going to kill us, and not only that, but the lasers shooting out of her eyes every time she glanced our way continued all the way through breakfast she grudgingly made us, but at least after a little while, our dad was laughing.

And sure, my mom nally got over it, and now nds it kind of funny, but the desire to pull a prank on someone, at least for me, was tarnished by my mom’s look of utter confusion, then her searing glare, both forever cemented in my brain.

With that, you can be certain you’ll never be purposely scared by me!

Hey, readers! Is there a particular subject that you would like me to write

a commentary about? Tell me, via email, at roxanne@akersmediagroup.com

ROXANNE BROWN