Family Gags

#2 Tea

I felt like death. Literally.

I was so dog sick. I could hardly move. My fever was at alarming temperatures and my throat felt hot and scratchy. Not to mention swallowing anything felt like swallowing cement.

I was tired constantly. Being me though, I couldn't just stay in bed and sleep. I was outside on the couch, right under the ceiling fan, wrapped up in my warmest blanket and watching anime on the TV.

'Why would you be outside?' you may ask.

Blatantly, for the sole reason that I could enslave my cousin into doing whatever I want.

Josh was a darling. Kind of slow at times, but his heart was always in the right place. He was staying over at our house for the weekend because he had some kind of football camp thing to attend in our area.

I fell sick and he reluctantly gave up going to the camp and he was very unhappy to do so. And I was grateful.

"Josh," I croaked out with my heavy, terrible, sick, man-like voice, "Could you please get me some water?"

He looked up at me from behind the screen of his Nintendo DS. His eyes were sad, as if getting up to get me this water would loose him whatever game he was playing. He was getting up as I said, "After that level?"

He smiled brightly and plopped back down to the couch and started intently back to his game.

I really liked Josh. I glanced at him with a sense of brotherly love. His hair was a tousled mess of ebony, he wore his usual baggy way-too-oversized black jacket and a wide grin on his face. He was like a little brother to me.

My other brothers were out of the house on business or lessons, as appointments couldn't be postponed and CSEC was fast approaching. Mom and Dad were also out of the country for the weekend. I didn't hold it against them, though. It's not like I had no help at all.

Speaking of which, here he was now, springing up from the couch in jubilation after, I assume, conquering whatever battle he was immersed in for the past twenty minutes.

He smiled sheepishly in my direction, "I'm sorry I took so long, Ambs. Darkrai is one tough thing to catch." he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment at how unconvincing his excuse was. I smiled the biggest smile that I could muster.

"Worry not, young one. Although as compensation, now I've upgraded my order to a hot cup of tea."

He laughed a little Josh-like laugh and nodded as he walked over to the kitchen to fulfill his task.

I marveled at how well this child was brought up. I keep referring to him as a child when in actuality he's only a year or so younger than me, but that still makes him my junior. Whatever magic obedience potion my aunt and uncle was feeding this kid, we will never know.

"Amby," he asked as he peeped around the kitchen door, "Am I supposed to make it via kettle?"

I pondered on this for a moment before answering, "Well I guess you can make from the kettle. It's only for one person after all."

He nodded and went back into the kitchen.

I turned back to my anime. I was currently amidst one of the best anime I'd ever watched, Haikyu. (A/N: Forreals guys. Haikyu is the amazing.) It was at a really hype point, the main characters were at the top of their game. I snuggled back into my blanket further. I could really do with that tea right about now. I heard the kettle start to whistle and then it subsided.

Josh came around the corner again and asked, "By the way, how do you get the tea bag to stay under water? Like, its resisting it or something."

"Hmm, well, there's no sure method around that. The wax paper will resist the water and the tea bag won't sink to the bottom, so you kind of have to go like this and try to get it soaked. Don't make it too strong though, when the water changes colour, take the tea bag out."