In the juice aisle at the supermarket, overdressed, oversprayed, and under-entertained:

Brother #1: Let’s buy Tang, mom. LOOK! It comes in a pouch!

Brother #2: WOW. Tang in a pouch? I like that – I   REALLY   LIKE   THAT.

Each picks up a box of Tang. Brother #1 grabs classic Orange. Brother #2 grabs Tropical.

Each places their choice into the shopping cart.

Mom: Boys, only one. You gotta pick one.

The boys argue.

Mom: You guys are taking too long. I’m gonna shop. TALK ABOUT IT and come find me when the decision’s made.

Brother #1 to Brother #2: Ok, let’s talk about it.

The boys sing “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” in unison and continue on with the rest of the rhyme. When one Tang was ultimately chosen, the losing boy complained until they sang the rhyme again.

A decision was never made using the nursery rhyme method.

Brother #2  goes the persuasion route. “Look. Tropical Tang has orange, just like the classic one you want….AND it has banana – your favorite – PLUS it has apples and – ”

“But mine has ORANGE.”

“I know. Yours IS orange. And mine has orange, too.”

“How about we buy mine and the next time we come to the store we buy yours?”

“How about we buy mine and the next time we come to the store we buy yours?”

The brothers stared at each other, each hugging their box of Tang, with no plans on giving in.

Mom: I’m paying for the stuff, guys! C’mon!

“HERE! By this one!” the brothers screamed together.

“Whoever gets to me first.”

(Note: One brother was thick and slow, the other lean and fast.)

The lean brother (#2) made it to the shopping cart first, dropping his box in. Thick brother slowed his roll even more when he discovered it was over. He walked back to the juice aisle box in hand, staring at the floor in sobbing disappointment. I slipped on his tears; I was in the juice aisle the whole time eavesdropping.

Me: Here, I’ll get it for you. Don’t put it away. C’mon, let’s go to the cashwrap. I think your mom’s about to leave.

I took the box of Orange Tang to the cash wrap and paid.

I turned around. Boy was practically out the door! He went running at lean brother speed towards his mother who was in the parking lot by now.

Shit. I ran after them and yelled.

Thick turns around, “See, mom! I told you, I told you! She WAS buying it for me!”

“Well, what do you tell her?”

“Thank you.”