Friday, February 01, 2008

A BLAST FROM THE PAST: The Nerddd at 10

It's the summer of 1990 and the Nerddd and her older brother are arguing over something silly, like the the remote control or credit for making "miyagi" synonymous for "cool" (it caught on in the Nerddd's household, anyway...ahem) in the '80s or inventing Khanjitsu (a brand of martial arts incorporating household items like throw cushions and spatulas; our Nerddd is no longer too proud to admit that her brother was the genius behind the discipline).

The Nerddd grumbles. She hurls out her grievances for anyone---including her brother, who's already, rather obliviously, watching television---who will listen. She stomps her feet and turns red with rage. "But, I want [the remote control; credit for coining the word "miyagi"; inventing Khanjitsu]," she rages. But her brother isn't listening, so to get his attention she finally resorts to calling out, "Ammmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaa!"

Our Nerddd's brother turns to look at what all the fuss is about. He's still, very clearly, uninterested in anything his little sister has to say because, as far as he's concerned, he was born having won this argument. Of course, this further angers the Nerddd and so she gives into her fury and flips him the bird.

The result however, of the flipped bird, is not the one she'd desired, for her brother dissolves into laughter. And although she wants to ask, "What? What?!" (because, frankly, she's confused), she shakes her hand and adds a "Take that!" for emphasis, hoping that that will do the trick but it only makes her brother laugh harder. So, she remains standing with the bird flipped, uttering exclamations as she struggles to make him take her seriously.

Her brother finally asks between laughs, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I don't know," the Nerddd replies, now very unsure of herself. "Showing you the finger. Why?"

"Oh no, nothing," her brother says, returning to the television.

"Tell me," she demands, her finger still raised up in the air.

"Nothing," he repeats and suddenly serious, he adds, "that's not a nice thing to do, Sabila."

The Nerddd folds down her pinky finger, brings her hand down to her side and concedes defeat.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Khanjitsu? LOVE IT...being a Khan myself...I am highly amused and will use that term in the future to threaten my enemies.

pinky finger? oh my goodness, you were and still are ADORABLE.

=)

New job starts Feb.11th.

Warning to all the SS men at the State Dept...watch out boys, there's a new sheriff in town.

=D

Anonymous said...

"she throws out her grievances for anyone who will listen". u are either a genius for ur own cause or u a cause of disengenuity.