A solemn memorial, a quiet road trip, and one very loud punchline
I’ve always had a knack for falling for a good setup, especially when the whole family’s in on a good prank. This little tale from my teenage years involves a road trip, a solemn memorial, and a joke I didn’t see coming… until it was too late.
When I was a teenager growing up in De Queen, Arkansas, we didn’t have many tourist attractions to show off. So, when family friends came to visit one weekend, my parents decided we’d take a day trip into Oklahoma to do a little sightseeing.
One of our stops was a quiet Native memorial. Jim, one of our visiting friends, told me that if I stood in front of the monument, crossed my arms with my elbows raised, and chanted, “Indian, Indian, what you say?” I would hear a spirit respond. According to him, the spirit would whisper, “Nothing at all.”
I didn’t believe a word of it. But I was outnumbered, and teenage pride is easily swayed by the sound of everyone else laughing and pushing you to go along. So, I stepped up to the memorial, crossed my arms, lifted my elbows, and chanted.
Nothing happened.
Jim smiled, gave me a little shove closer, and said, “Try again.”
I did. Same pose, same chant. Still nothing.
Jim leaned in. “He said it again. The spirit said nothing at all.”
Everyone around me was trying not to laugh, which should have been my clue. But I went in for round three. Again, I chanted. Again, Jim claimed the spirit had replied.
That’s when it finally clicked.
The joke was on me. The spirit had spoken. It said nothing at all. And I had walked right into a classic family prank. Three times.
Written October, 2009 | Revised and edited May, 2025
If you like this flash fiction, maybe you would like to read about my Rock Pile.
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