EEKSQUEEK MCGEEKBEEK

Not so many years ago, my son Caleb and his wife Robin were talking about the hockey draft, which was a usual conversation in their home. Caleb has been a hockey fan his entire life. He told Robin, that an up and coming Hockey player from Ireland, Eeksqueek McGeekbeek was being drafted by the Minnesota Wild. As Robin was looking skeptical, Caleb then said that the players Gaelic name is Aacksquake McGaakbake. Can you imagine? Still the suspicious look, so he then mentioned the Hawaiian football draft players Jahlani Tavai, Solo Vaipulu, Eperone Moananu, all linebackers and Troy Aumua Polamalu, a strong safety.

Caleb told me a few times how he pays close attention to all the draft picks of the Wild. He was always a Bulldogs fan as a boy and spent a lot of his time as a boy shooting pucks into a net. His dream was to be a hockey player and that wasn’t in the cards. He is however, a huge fan. Because he grew up in the Duluth area, he was mostly a fan of the Bulldogs, then the Wild and now even the Minnesota Gophers. Robin was convinced and she proceeded to let the folks at work know and her friends on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and LinkedIn too. What news! It spread from Robin to others and then still more others and before long everyone in Cottage Grove, then Minnesota, Texas, Alaska and the world knew that the new Wild player would be a first line starter in the new season.

When Robin found out it was something Caleb had just made up on the spot, she was so upset as she had told her boss and many of her co-workers before she found out just what he had done. She had even told some co-workers and people she looks up to. Robin said, “OMG, what am I going to do now. Caleb you shit, now what? I totally believed you. You are the most up on hockey of anyone I know, of course I’m going to believe you!” Caleb then proceeded to help Robin concoct a story to help with her co-workers. He said, “you say, when someone confronts you, “I really didn’t know you would take me seriously. You must be kidding me… you bought Eeksqueek McGeekbeek, and Aaksquake McGaakbake? I have an island in New York to sell you? Interested? Then you laugh and laugh and laugh and tell them, your brilliant husband got you too.”

Most people aren’t okay with being laughed at but they like it when you can laugh at yourself and laugh with them as well, rather than just at them. And so it was funny and still is for many. I think everyone has forgiven Robin and Caleb too. Not knowing that Eeksqueek McGeekbeek and Aaksquake McGaakbake is not really a Wild Hockey Player after all is okay too! You know those people in Minnesota and their hockey! And to think I struggle with fiction and there is my son with no trouble at all making up something so outrageous and convincing his wife that has known him for at least 25 years bought it.

Caleb is my stepson and has been in my life since he was twelve years old. He was an only child until he inherited a sister and a brother along with me as his stepmother. They became instant siblings. His siblings played hockey and he loved that. They all have hockey in common to this day. My youngest still plays hockey in his forties and blames me for letting him quit hockey when he was finishing the ninth grade. I have to say, I was tired of hockey by that time. I am not the fan that my kids are, although I do have a reminder on my phone when the Wild games are starting and each period the score updates and sometimes I will watch the highlights. So, I guess I’m from Minnesota too.