come out screaming.” Eric then laughed.
“I guess that makes life interesting,” Michael said, having read up on Asperger’s syndrome when a friend’s child was diagnosed with it.
Eric was constantly on the move and handed Michael a list. “Yeah, I can’t sit still. My grandmother used to say I was busier than a blue-assed fly, whatever the hell that means,” Eric added.
Michael glanced at the piece of paper, which contained a list of emergency numbers, instructions on how everything worked in the apartment, including how if you baked a cake, set the thermostat twenty-five degrees higher than the recipe instructed and allow seven extra minutes of baking time. Every minute detail of living in this one-bedroom apartment was covered. Michael reached into his wallet and pulled out a check, which covered an entire year’s rent, utilities and a security deposit. Eric looked at it, immediately endorsed it and pulled out a deposit slip filling it out as well. Michael was amazed at how organized Eric was.
“So, Brazil, I guess you’re looking forward to that,” Michael said.
“Actually, it’s not as glamorous as you think. I’m going down there on a government contract to study and write about the impact of aid to poor villages in the country. I may never see Rio except when I land at the airport,” Eric said. “And do you want to hear the weirdest part?”
“What?” Michael asked, intrigued by this twin of his with every move he made.
“I’ve been taking Portuguese lessons for six months now, and I still can’t speak one word of it! Hilarious huh? Sending an Aspy – that is what they call us Asperger’s people – to a foreign country with no working knowledge of the language,” Eric answered and laughed again.
Michael looked over at his suitcases and noticed he had only three bags – of course, three. “Is that all the luggage you’re taking for a year?” Michael asked.
“Look who’s talking. You showed up with three bags yourself,” Eric said pointing to Michael’s bags.
“You’re right, but I’m having the rest shipped,” Michael answered, noticing that he had a “three-thing” going on, too.
“I shipped stuff also and guess how many boxes?” Eric said with a grin.
“Three,” Michael answered.
“Wrong! Two!” Eric said. “Do you know for how long I was rocking and flapping my arms before I could allow myself only to send two boxes?” Eric then laughed again. That made Michael nervous – rocking and flapping his arms. Eric sensed his alarm. “Oh, come on. That’s a little Aspy humor. I don’t rock,” he said then paused. “But I do flap my arms when I get excited.” Then Eric winked. Just then, a blue van pulled up out front, and the driver blew his horn.
“Oh, there’s my shuttle. My cell phone number is on the list if you need anything. I’ll call once a month to see that everything’s OK. Also, I didn’t forward my phone, so if it rings, go ahead and answer it and give anyone my cell number. You can use the phone also, and the number is on the list,” Eric said as he opened the door and walked to the shuttle with two of his suitcases.
Michael grabbed the third bag and followed him out.
“Do you think you forgot something?” Michael asked as Eric opened the door to the van.
Eric furrowed his brow and replied, “What?”
“The keys,” Michael said holding out his hand.
Eric reached into his pocket and handed Michael a key chain with three keys. He pointed out the one for the door, the deadbolt and the one for the steel-reinforced screen door. “Make sure you lock all three. This may be Mount Pleasant, but it is neither a mount, nor pleasant … discuss,” Eric said as he closed the door to the van and they drove off.
Michael waved goodbye and passed a neighbor, who gave him a double-take as he walked back to the apartment.
“Eric, did you dye your hair?” the neighbor asked.
“No. Don’t you think I would have dyed all the gray out?”
“I guess that makes life interesting,” Michael said, having read up on Asperger’s syndrome when a friend’s child was diagnosed with it.
Eric was constantly on the move and handed Michael a list. “Yeah, I can’t sit still. My grandmother used to say I was busier than a blue-assed fly, whatever the hell that means,” Eric added.
Michael glanced at the piece of paper, which contained a list of emergency numbers, instructions on how everything worked in the apartment, including how if you baked a cake, set the thermostat twenty-five degrees higher than the recipe instructed and allow seven extra minutes of baking time. Every minute detail of living in this one-bedroom apartment was covered. Michael reached into his wallet and pulled out a check, which covered an entire year’s rent, utilities and a security deposit. Eric looked at it, immediately endorsed it and pulled out a deposit slip filling it out as well. Michael was amazed at how organized Eric was.
“So, Brazil, I guess you’re looking forward to that,” Michael said.
“Actually, it’s not as glamorous as you think. I’m going down there on a government contract to study and write about the impact of aid to poor villages in the country. I may never see Rio except when I land at the airport,” Eric said. “And do you want to hear the weirdest part?”
“What?” Michael asked, intrigued by this twin of his with every move he made.
“I’ve been taking Portuguese lessons for six months now, and I still can’t speak one word of it! Hilarious huh? Sending an Aspy – that is what they call us Asperger’s people – to a foreign country with no working knowledge of the language,” Eric answered and laughed again.
Michael looked over at his suitcases and noticed he had only three bags – of course, three. “Is that all the luggage you’re taking for a year?” Michael asked.
“Look who’s talking. You showed up with three bags yourself,” Eric said pointing to Michael’s bags.
“You’re right, but I’m having the rest shipped,” Michael answered, noticing that he had a “three-thing” going on, too.
“I shipped stuff also and guess how many boxes?” Eric said with a grin.
“Three,” Michael answered.
“Wrong! Two!” Eric said. “Do you know for how long I was rocking and flapping my arms before I could allow myself only to send two boxes?” Eric then laughed again. That made Michael nervous – rocking and flapping his arms. Eric sensed his alarm. “Oh, come on. That’s a little Aspy humor. I don’t rock,” he said then paused. “But I do flap my arms when I get excited.” Then Eric winked. Just then, a blue van pulled up out front, and the driver blew his horn.
“Oh, there’s my shuttle. My cell phone number is on the list if you need anything. I’ll call once a month to see that everything’s OK. Also, I didn’t forward my phone, so if it rings, go ahead and answer it and give anyone my cell number. You can use the phone also, and the number is on the list,” Eric said as he opened the door and walked to the shuttle with two of his suitcases.
Michael grabbed the third bag and followed him out.
“Do you think you forgot something?” Michael asked as Eric opened the door to the van.
Eric furrowed his brow and replied, “What?”
“The keys,” Michael said holding out his hand.
Eric reached into his pocket and handed Michael a key chain with three keys. He pointed out the one for the door, the deadbolt and the one for the steel-reinforced screen door. “Make sure you lock all three. This may be Mount Pleasant, but it is neither a mount, nor pleasant … discuss,” Eric said as he closed the door to the van and they drove off.
Michael waved goodbye and passed a neighbor, who gave him a double-take as he walked back to the apartment.
“Eric, did you dye your hair?” the neighbor asked.
“No. Don’t you think I would have dyed all the gray out?”
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