The Tale of how Dimitri Made Twenty-Five Cents...

I was just sitting there, bare-footed, in the middle of a Japanese restaurant, with my 6 year old brother, while he eats his happy meal, listening to country music.

How did I end up in this...unique situation?

Well, let me start with, it's not exactly what I planned.



A couple days ago, my younger brother, Dimitri, decided me and him, we should be best friends. I guess that's cool, except I was planning on going out with some friends that day. So, Dimitri decides to come along and of course, Mom says...yes.

WHAT?! Since when does Mom say yes about Dimitri going anywhere?!



Well, Dimitri comes along. And I have a decent time. Dimitri is bored out of his mind, but I'm having a fun time. It's a basketball game and my favorite team was winning and life was good. But Dimitri was bored. So I figured, he's probably not going to want to go anywhere with me again...I never get anything right.

Well, the very next day, I have plans to go out again with some friends. And again, Dimitri's very desire in life is to come...with...me. Again, Mom agrees. And again, Dimitri comes. It all seemed to be going very well. In fact, we were having a jolly good time.



Well, we're going out to eat, and the vote is unanimous - sushi. Well, almost unanimous...Dimitri wants McDonald's. So, we stop at McDonald's and pick up a Happy Meal.

I ask Dimitri - "Do you want Chicken Nuggets or a cheeseburger?"
Dimitri says - "Chicken Nuggets."
So, I buy a Chicken Nugget Happy Meal with a boy's toy and go back to the car and give it to him.



We drive to the sushi place and the very lovely Japanese lady directs us to a table, where we have to take off our shoes. Now, I'm not an expert on hygiene, and maybe it's just because I have a foot phobia, but I find this disgusting.

Well, we sit down, we order and Dimitri starts eating. He eats his whole meal. He turns and looks at me, and I swear to you, this is exactly what he says - "I wanted a cheeseburger."

...

There is no way that he actually told me that. After the embarrassment of having to stop and buy him a happy meal, and then sitting in a restaurant while he chows down on it, and then listening to his complaints. There is no way that I am okay with this.

Well, I tell him, he'll get twenty-five cents if he doesn't talk for the rest of the night.

Dimitri got a shiny quarter at the end of the evening.