Ruby
Ruby meets her cousin Melody, who is quick to inform her, “I’m still the cutest baby in this room!!”
She never did make it to nun school, but she still turned out pretty special.
My fake child just had a real baby.
Before she became the successful, vibrant young adult she is today, back before she played basketball for Coupeville High School and used her Elbows ‘o Death to bounce opponents off the hard wood as a scrappy ballhawk, back before all that, Courtney Boyd was my daughter.
At least that’s what she told people.
Back when she and Liz Tingstad were feisty, loud preteens, they hung out behind the counter at Videoville with me after school.
They took out the garbage, got the mail, disposed of my recycling, rented movies to customers (even though Miriam didn’t know they did), used my computer to play games and ate me out of house and home with frequent requests for food and drinks from the espresso side of the business.
“WE ARE HUNGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Which was followed by a customer giving me the stink-eye.
“Why don’t you feed your daughters?”
“They’re not even my daughters…”
“Don’t be that kind of guy!!! Take responsibility for your actions!”
“My actions? They’re not my daughters!”
“WE ARE HUNGRY, DAD!!!!!!”
“Oh, good lord…”
Courtney, in particular, took great delight in telling people I was her dad, just to mess with me and them.
From across the street, as she headed to school, she would bellow “PAPA DAVE! PAPA DAVE!!!!!!!” until everyone looked my way, then giggle and skip off to create havoc somewhere else.
I got back at her by frequently telling her I would send her to “nun school” if she even thought about dating a boy.
I would wait until she walked by the store, and, if there was a boy in her immediate vicinity, throw open Videoville’s doors and scream “NUN SCHOOL! NUN SCHOOL!!!”
She would get back at me by waiting until the next time she was behind the video counter and I had a customer, at which point she’d step up behind me and, in a loud voice, inform the whole store, “Papa Dave!!!! Mom never got the alimony check!!!!!!”
Good times…
And now my “baby” has gone and had herself a real baby.
Ruby Lealynne Folkestad. Born to Courtney and Brian Folkestad at 3:42am on January 2nd, 2013. 7.5 pounds, 19 inches long.
First words to her mom: “NUN SCHOOL!!!”
Is it just me or is it awfully dusty in here today, cause … just sayin’ … my eyes seem to be bothering me something awful this morning…
Coupeville Sports 