April fools

It is April Fool’s day. I know it is, and I know that my wife loves jokes on April Fool’s day. Not funny jokes, mind you. Mean ones. She likes lies. To her, they are funny.

Her Mom pulled one of the best April Fool’s jokes ever. Eunjoo often regales me with its retelling, through tears of laughter.

My mother-in-law phoned up her sister one April morning and told her tearfully, that my father-in-law had died in a car accident. He had been out drinking, and lost control of the car on his way home. Insurance was void, because of the drunk driving. The family was left desolate.

Her sister was beside herself- crying in sympathy for my mother-in-law. Until my mother-in-law goes from tears to laughter.

“What?”

“Then she yells into the phone ‘April Fool’s Day!’ ” my wife recounts joyfully.

On this April 1st morning, I am working on the computer. My wife comes into the room, and says that she has to go to Seoul today. Usually, I would respond that that is nonsense, that her job is to stay here and look after the child. She can go when my semester is over. This is the proper response. But I know it is a joke. I can use this to gain capital.

“Oh.” I say, falsely concerned. “Did something happen? I can cancel classes this week. I’ll cancel the semester. What can I do to help? Does someone need a kidney? I have two.”

I feel that maybe I’ve over-played my hand a bit. I reel it back a bit to sound realistic. “I could spare the weak one,“ and a little bit more, "if the price is right."