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Every now and then, my brain goes traveling down Memory Lane for no specific reason. And it comes back with a totally random very specific piece of my past.

Usually something that has to do with my childhood.

Chéri is very familiar with these Family Flashes, because I always feel the need to share them with him, when they happen.

I thought I’d start a little series, like a scrapbook of these tiny bits of my life.

***

For this little story, unlike what I say in the above introduction, I do know exactly what brought it back to my mind, yesterday.

My friend Brutus answered to the day’s Quickie, giving me an instant time-traveling ticket to an episode of my life, that still makes me giggle to this day, although it happened more than two decades ago.

In the late nineties, I started going out with my first boyfriend. We had met in college, and had started as friends…  I think we both were a little awkward in our own ways, and the connexion between us was instant and intense.

When, after one year of studying together, he left for a month-long vacation in France with his family, I was asked to come to their home every other day to take care of their cat.

Upon my first visit to their empty home, I had found an hoped for yet unexpected letter on his pillow, asking me to be his girlfriend when he’d come back.

Fastforward to their return.

I don’t remember telling Mom and Dad about the good news, because I am quite secretive when it comes to my love life. But  before the jetlag had worn off, my back-then Chéri was sitting at the family table for a simple lovely dinner.

The problem was that he came from a pretty uptight family, and we were, let’ say ”laid back”.

Nothing was taboo around the table (and it hasn’t changed sinced), and for some reason, Dad thought it’d be funny to use Mom’s (delicious) mashed potatoes to depict a zit’s burst. I did see things coming, but I wasn’t quick enough to react, I admit.

Dad took a mouthfull, I did see my back-then Chéri turn whiter than he ever was. Dad pressed fingers on his cheeks to make the potato mash come out his mouth, and back-then Chéri threw up his meal, while still sitting at the table.

Things got a little blurry.

Back-then Chéri ran to the bathroom, Mom and I ran after him.

Both of us tried to convince him there was nothing to worry about. Little Bro was still sitting at the table with Dad, waiting for us to come back.

And when we (Mom and I) finally lured Back-then Chéri out of the bathroom, I just remember Dad saying…

”Wow, and he threw up right in his plate!”

Showing how unimportant the event was in our family. But I have a guess it still haunts him sometimes…