Don't laugh

My brother had that bumper sticker, on the back of his cherry red '72 Volkswagen Bus.

It was his first car. He showed up at my parents house with it one day when he was 21 and I was 14. He bought it from a friend, who in part of selling it had it painted from its old stereotypical hippie paint job of psychedelic colors and designs.

Needless to say, we got a LOT of looks whenever he would give me rides places.

That year, my parents went up to Atlanta on a long weekend, leaving me at the house partly alone. We had convinced A-boy to stay with me that night and the following night. He agreed to make sure I went to school, but he would in no way stay the weekend.

I was a responsible enough to be left alone, even at the age of fourteen.

I hated riding the school bus, so I was able to get my brother to pick me up from school. He would make sure I got to the bus stop on time, but he would not drive me to school.

I remember walking out of the school, that first afternoon, with all the other kids who had rides picking them up. Every other kid was getting a ride home from either their mother, or a friends mother. I was the only getting picked up by my brother.

In his cherry red '72 Volkswagen Bus, with a ball pit (made from McDonald's balls) in the back, and the above sticker smack on the back window.

He was a stereotypical hippie in appearance. My best friends dad called my brother "Shaggy" and called his bus the "mystery machine" which only annoyed A-boy. He would always haughtily point out that the mystery machine was a Ford.

A-boy was very happy when I appeared and told me to get in, and got s away from the school as fast as the bus would take us- which wasn't very fast. He was uncomfortable with all the open stares he was getting from all of the soccer moms. This was a couple of years before cell phones were in wide use, other wise, I'm pretty sure the cops would have been called, or the school alerted.

Like I said, he only stayed with me the schools nights. Come Friday afternoon, I was alone.

Well, alone from Adult supervision.

I had arranged, earlier in the week to have another good friend, who was the same age as me stay over until Sunday. Her parent's were aware that mine were out of state, but I believe we neglected to mention that my brother would NOT be staying the night.

Is it really that surprising that this was the first time I ever got stoned?

I think not.