Easter in Canada

I told you I'd still write about Easter, right?
What I didn't expect was that Jim would start doing so - revealing some very private...incidents.
But he is right when he claims I am not any better. I know that.
I think we both just have to live with the babbling that's sometimes pouring out of each other's...well...not mouths, hm? Fingers?

So...after the not so short stop at the meadow and meeting the local gossip monger, we made our way to the hut and made ourselves comfortable up there.
15 minutes after our arrival Mr. Brunswick blew the horn of his pickup car.
I turned to Jim and grinned. "That old fart is a good walker!"
Jim sighed and blushed crimson red. "Yes. Amazing how fast the local news network is working."
He walked to the door, opened it and waved to Mr. Brunswick who jumped out of the car with a broad smile.
"JIM!", he exclaimed and patted Jim's shoulder as if it was ring-the-bell. "Good to see you again! Where's your sweetheart?"
I grinned and peeped out of the door. "Hey, Mr. Brunswick..."
"Dr. House!", he roared and greeted me in a quite similar way so that I had to lean hard on my cane afterwards. "I am bringing your stuff."
"Right on time", I nodded.
Brunswick laughed out loud. "Well...'the old fart', as you call him, was in the village store and told everyone he met you on the meadow down there."
James squeezed past him and put his arm around my shoulder. "Um...yes...the meadow...We had a short break there."
The corners of Brunswick's mouth twitched and he tried hard not to grin. "Yes, he told us something like that...He called it shnoggin' instead of short break."
Jim and me exchanged some quick glances and I grinned while he was breathing out with relief.
"Shnoggin'...er...snogging...well...um...yes."
Brunswick did not pay much attention to that 'cause he was already beginning to bring some of the numerous bags he brought inside.
Jim and me hurried to help him and I wondered if he thought we'd receive our whole families here or the Boston Red Sox.

Brunswick left not without inviting us to the pub in the evening and telling me how glad Finn was we were back. He winked and smirked to himself while I was just rolling my eyes.
"What did he tell you?", Jim wanted to know when I came back in and started to help him to stuff the things away.
"Invited us to the pub tonight...and told me how happy Finn is."
James frowned. "U-huuu...Finn, hm?"
I shrugged and opened the cupboard. "Yes. He's glad we're back."
"Sure. We."
I nudged Jim's side and we both grinned.

Afterwards we unpacked our bags and I was surprised when I saw that Jim brought some Easter decoration.
"You celebrate Easter? Being a Jew?", I raised an eyebrow.
James raised both of his eyebrows. "You celebrate Easter? Being nothing?"
"Ts ts", I grinned. "Who tells you I'm nothing? By the way I am just celebrating some days off with you."
"Yeah. And you celebrate the opportunity of getting nougat eggs and all that stuff."
"Got me!", I smirked. He knew I had a sweet tooth.

Well...we made ourselves comfortable and if you read Jim's blog you know how that day ended. We did not join the Brunswick's at the pub.
Nonetheless they asked us to go to the Easter mass with them Sunday morning. I showed my teeth but Jim agreed.

Oh, I was grumpy when I had to get up early for church.
"Why the heck did you agree?", I complained and watched my tired face in the mirror.
Jim hopped out of the shower and toweled. "C'mon, hun, it's not that bad. We're with our friends and after church we'll have Easter brunch at their home."
He cuffed my bum and gestured to the shower. "Now hurry, babes. I'll percolate coffee and after your shower and a good cuppa your world will look better."
I just frowned, dryswallowed a Vicodin and did what I was told.
Well, I was surprised that he was right.
Shower and coffee lifted my spirits and suddenly the prospect of going to church together with the whole village seemed fun.
Jim watched me carefully over the brim of his mug.
"You are plotting..."
I took a sip and smiled as bright as the sun. "I am not. I am just beginning to like the idea of watching an entire village on their knees."
Jim waved that aside. "You are plotting. I know that face. It's the 'solving a puzzle' look combined with that smug smile...."
Taking another sip of coffee I sat back in my chair. "If you think so..."
"Do I want to know?"
"Know what?"
"What you are going to do."
"Hey, I am just going to church with you and the villagers!"
Jim put down his mug and raised his hands. "Fine. Fine! Just...make sure you won't embarass me."
"Would I ever do that?"
"You so would!"
I put on a hurt expression and finished my coffee.

Just a few minutes later the police car blew the horn in front of the hut. Finn was there to pick us up, wearing a dark suit and smelling like a perfumery. Jim grinned and nudged my side. "Wanna hurry inside again and change into a suit?"
"Yeah, always", I replied and nudged him back.
Finn approached us all smiles and hugged me like a long lost friend. "Gregory!", he just said and eyed me from head to toe. After some seconds he added a "You look good!"
I just shrugged and wished him a Happy Easter.
"Jim, it's so good to see you again", he then turned to James who concealed a grin.
After the hellos we were on our way to church which was already crowded.
I limped inside leaning hard on my cane to make sure I would not kneel down or anything.
And to add more emphasis to the thing I was about to do.
We sat down next to the Brunswicks, Finn to my left, and Jim looked at me slightly concerned.
"Does it hurt that much today?"
I rubbed my thigh. "I'm okay, darling."
"You always say that..."
"Believe me, I'm okay."
Jim sighed and the Easter mass began.

Do you know Homer Simpson and the way he lies on the couch, drooling and half asleep? I think I must have looked fairly similar. Jim nudged me more than once and hissed my name. Then my eyes popped open again and I really tried to listen to what the priest said.
When I could not stomach it anymore I decided it was about time to do what I wanted to do. Just when the wholecongregation, out of respect including James, was kneeling down again I arose.
Everyone turned their head and looked at me. "Sit down again!", Jim hissed under his breath but I lifted my cane.
"A miracle!", I exclaimed. "I can walk!"
With these words I took a few steps into the aisle without using my cane. "Hallelujah!!!"
"Greg!!!!", Jim hissed again and the congregation was staring at me, some jaws dropped. I limped out of the church still not using my cane and heard someone else following me stammering "Excuse me...oh...I'm so sorry....oh...Lord..."
Jim for sure.

Outside I broke down with mad laughter at Finn's car. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I tried hard to catch breath when my head was slapped.
"Are you mad?!", Jim yelled at me.
I looked up at him with big puppy eyes. "Aw...don't be cross with me...I just had to..."
"You hurt their religious feelings!!! That's no joke!", he said with clenched teeth.
I was still laughing, could not help it, and shook my head. "If anything I made the morning a bit interesting..."
Jim sat down next to me in the grass. "You are impossible! Really!"
I twirled my cane and smiled at him. "But it was...fun."
He turned his head to me. "At least for you."
I poked him. "C'mon...I see that developping grin..."
And yes. There it was. A small grin. Then a broad grin. That broad grin turned into laughter and soon we both had to wipe our tears away.

Five minutes later Finn ran out of the church and nodded down to us. "Well...That was...interesting. They are still discussing what exactly it was."
Jim grunted. "It was one of his ill-minded jokes!"
Finn could not help grinning. "Um...I think...it was funny, I have to admit."
"Thumbs up!", I said and he offered me his hand.
"Okay, get up, you two. We'll be driving home now before everyone else is coming out."
I ignored his hand and got to my feet, having dirt brushed off my trousers by Jim. "Yes, let's hook it."
Shortly after us the rest of the Brunswick family came home and I was a bit surprised no one was cross with me.