Pan POV
We ate in a restaurant then immediately drive home. While my brother is on the steering wheel, I obliged myself to talk to him whatever topic comes out from my mouth. I believe that passengers or the ones sitting in the front seat need to chat with the driver. I always have this belief that driving after eating is dangerous because people often feel sleepy after eating. Drowsy driving is a cause to at least a hundred thousand car crashes a year. The only way, I believe, to avoid such accidents behind the wheel is to divert the driver's attention to a chat, so he won't feel sleepy.
I ask nonsense questions to my brother.
"So Nee..... what is your view on some countries' legalization of Pituitariana?"
"Huh...? Is there news about that?"
"Yeah, I saw it popped online this morning..." 🙄
"I haven't heard nor read about it...would you briefly explain it to me?" Nee responded while he maneuvers the steering wheel. He looked puzzled.
"I haven't read about it too. I thought you know something about it?"
"Legalization of Pit...Tui...😕...what...not Marijuana??"
"Pi-tui-ta-ri-ana......Pituitariana?"😶
"Forget about it... another question...? What do you think of the word...DuperDaliFridaRembralisticDuchamPicassiosis? Is it super long?"
"Duper..Da... what?"
"DuperDaliFridaRembralisticDuchamPicassiosis..."😁
"Does that word exist in English??? Officially listed in...Merriam?...Oxford?...Dictionaries? It sounds like...Supercali...I can't remember the word but I know it means 'fantastic'"
"No. They just sound alike. The word is DuperDaliFridaRembralisticDuchamPicassiosis. It's actually a new word that I bumped in yesterday. I had a hard time memorizing the word..."
Truth is that I just came up with the word a couple of minutes ago. Nee didn't give his ideas about the legalization of Pituitariana which I just copied from Canada's legalization of Marijuana. Pituitariana isn't an actual word. I derived it from the word "Pituitary" of the word "Pituitary gland", a small gland that plays a vital role in regulating bodily functions.
"And the meaning is..." Nee asks.
"Hmmm...let me jog my memory first. As far as my memory can remember, it is a psychological disorder characterized by recurring obsessions and excessive fascinations of any art forms of art most especially the artistic styles and creations of Salvador Dali..., Frida Kalo, uhmm... Rembrandt, ... Marcel Duchamp, and Pablo Picasso."
"I'm totally not familiar with that disorder. That sounds not a disorder to me... Sounds like an expression! Any medical treatment?"
"I dunno I haven't read the entire article yet. I'll let you know if I read it entirely. Just don't search it, let me be the first to tell you..."
"Not interested...Don't worry the disorder's name is too long to memorize and besides, I can assure you that I don't have any obsessions in Surrealist paintings... I am a non-expert in art let alone paint something on a canvass. But I know how to analyze and appreciate them."
I gazed on my cell phone's screen and checks the time. I just need another nonsense topic...
".. 😪.."
O Gee, Nee is yawning... I should think more.
"A....A... So Nee, I have another question."
"Fire away..."
''Do you think earthworms fart and poop? or Did Sleeping Beauty ever snore when she's sleeping?...or...Do bears know their name's quite confusing?.... Did the Beatles really cross Abbey Road?"
"Cut that nonsense, Andreas... Stop asking frivolous questions. Your acting like you're a pea-brained tonight....🤬 Did you eat something weird in the restaurant? I'd rather sleep than answer your silly questions...!!!"
That's the reason I'm doing this madness—not to make you sleep. It turns out I am not good or I am great at playing time.
I pouted at Nee who was kinda annoyed with my questions. At least I made him annoyed and not drowsy. 🤗
"So do you think earthworms fart and poop?"
"Can you just ask a sensible question?👿
"So his thinking all this time my questions aren't good...Yes...Yes. I think so..." I glanced on my phone again.
"Nee...."
"Make sure it isn't stupid or I'll crash this car!" 😤
Crash the car! It scares me...😱
"How's the selection?
"Praise the heavens...uhhhh... Yeah, the committee deliberated this afternoon."
"And"
"We had it final today at 4."
"That NO one is qualified????"
"Nope...We selected..."
"Three....no..no..no..no.. Five, right?"
"Unfortunately we voted and decided to qualify one candidate..."
"One????" my eyes widened when Nee said they chose ONE. Surprising... 😮
"Happy for HER..."😃
"Congratulations to HIM..."
"HE----SHE----IT????"
"HE. You aren't listening!!!"
"He will be part of your program. What will happen to the others?"
"They still have the chance next semester."
"Better than no chance at all." I sympathized with those who were not accepted.
"And he will transfer to the university at the end of this month..."
"Calendar Man! That's next week!
"Oh yeah. That's next week. He will be a student at the university. And he will be under my supervision..."
" Supervision huh?...Whoa... that's great I guess."
"The Senior Professors agreed that I would be his advisor in his independent study. And take note...he chose me!"😎
"If it's an independent study why appoint you as an advisor? It's an independent study right?... Alone... One... Single... Sole..."😕
"Still using 1 percent of your brain Andreas! An advisor will supervise and give advice to students. After all, they are still students and they need someone who would oversee their work.... See what I mean?"
"I'm using my analytical thinking right now and I can figure out that you are correct." I offered a fake smile to Nee who's focused on his driving but has his insult over my feeble-mindedness.
"😃"
"So can you be my advisor?"
"Now your brain shrunk to a mungbean size... 😡. Of course, that isn't possible! I think it's time for you to take Experimental Psychology, Basic Research Methods, and Experimental Designs...."
Oh... it's hard to pretend I am stupid just to avoid Nee from falling asleep.
"Grrrrrrr... I hate those..." I whined.
"Next time review notes and use logic OK?"
"This new job will make you busier?"
"Presumably Yes...."
"And it means You will have no time for us?.." I asked Nee seriously. Nee only has time with me in the evening and on the weekends. His time is almost packed every week and he barely had time for himself, I guess. I miss those days that both of us sit on a cushion and play arcade. Those times when he was still a university student were memories. 😞.
This's one of the reasons why I want to transfer. I didn't mention this because I know it can be very petty. But I have an older brother and I cannot dare to say I do not miss the days when we were inseparable like Rama and Lakshmana or the Maclean brothers of the movie 'A River Runs Through It'.
I'm getting behind of Nee and I think it's hard to catch up. Sorry to say, but I just feel that Nee's students spend most of the time with him than me. It's fine but day by day Nee is getting busier and busier and I don't want the day to come that I can only see him on his birthdays. I still want to be with my brother all the time. 😞
"I will always have time for you all, especially for you. I may have many students, but I only have one brother." This melts me in the heart. His assurance floats me to my worry that saddens me every time I think of the loads of work he has. "You don't have to.... wait...are you...jealous?" he caught what I mean.
"No...no...I'm just worried we couldn't watch a movie together..."
"😂" he burst into laughter. "My brother is acting like a young kid...!"
Yes, I'm acting like I was a young kid longing for a time with his older brother. He started to ruffle my hair like he usually does and when I'm too emotional inside and I want to cry, he started poking the scar on my head. One minute ago, I felt like I was a puppy to my brother. Five seconds later, I felt he was playing with me and started another 'bully' ideas that are occasionally sweet but often insanely insane.
"Where's the map? Where's the map?"😂
"😭"