No one here, but us ghosts

It's volleyball season for my younger daughter, Pretty in Pink, and that means frequent tournament travel. A few days ago P in P and her mother, jetted cross-country to Baltimore for a three-day event. Marianne called the first evening to say they had finally arrived at their destination and she was pausing to catch her breath before rounding up the rest of the team for dinner at a nearby restaurant.

On the home front Mother in law, Evster, and me were rattling around the house involved in our respective projects with most interaction during meal times. Although our household is typically subdued, when P in P and Marianne are traveling, the decibel level drops another notch. On occasion, Mother-in-law, will call out in a forelorn voice, "Is anybody home?" If one of us responds to this inquiry, the follow up question is, "Where is everyone?" This requires a person-by-person accounting for everyone's whereabouts and when they are expected to return.

Several hours later, Mother in law decides to check in again. "Where is everyone?" she says with uncertainty. Help! Someone hit the replay button.

Of course, one could always respond, "No one here, but us ghosts." Given Mother in law's broad superstitious streak, this might be risky. Evster seems to be most successful at projecting a ghostly presence. Often he's perched in front of his computer in the family room ostensibly doing homework. But, toggling back to video games when parental attention turns elsewhere. Somehow, by remaining quiet and nearly motionless he eludes Mother in law radar. If he doesn't become a politician, maybe, the kid has a future as a big game tracker.