Best Friends and Laundry

This is Andy and Dale. They were born within a month of each other in 1990. They met in 1st grade. They have been best friends ever since. These boys are now 16, live 3 doors down, both about to get their driver's license, and they think WAY too much alike. This is the story of Dale's laundry and their friendship. It all began with the problem of the modern invention of the dryer vs. the hot summer sun. The first strange occurrence was when I went into the garage, and noticed the dryer running, and a strange laundry basket sitting near the dryer. Hmmm, I thought, how could this be? Andy barely knows how to use the dryer (my fault). Matt our youth pastor had come over for dinner before the high school Bible Study. As he and Andy were getting ready to leave, Andy recieves a random thought: "I have to bring Dale his laundry!" and he runs to the garage. He returns with the unfamiliar laundry basket and all of Dale's favorite shirts, his shorts and all his underwear. Andy reveals the mystery. "Dale's dad told him not to use the dryer,and to hang up his shirts, but he just brought them over HERE to dry" Oh. I thought. Matt is laughing hysterically, I can't believe what they have done, I thought laundry meant the wet shirts and bathing suits, but no,their wet shirts and bathing suits were were still laying ON the bathroom floor. So, I did whatever any self respecting mother of a teen would do. I yelled and laughed so hard at the same time I could not really be understood. I start to take all of Dales underwear and hang it over the basket, because Andy has informed me that he needs to return it to Dale so he wear his favorite shirt to youth group. "MOM, this is not your business!" he so loyally declares. "Did you ask me if you could dry his clothes?" "No, I thought it would be fine" he replies calmly. And so Andy dutifully heads down the street to deliver the basket to his best friend, dropping a pair of underwear in the street without noticing on the way. Then John and I watch from a hidden location as Dale's mom watches Andy bring her laundry basket down the street. As Andy explains, the look on her face turns from confusion to disbelief to horrified in about 10 seconds. Dad is looking out the window, and we wouldn't be able to accurately explain his reaction, but we were guessing. As we are uncontrollably laughing, trying to think about how we would react if the shoe was on the proverbally other foot, We realized that we would be SO embarrassed. Matt took Dale's underwear to youth group and shared the entire sordid story with all the high schoolers, and we enjoyed a good laugh with Dale's mom after we talked her out of her embarrassment. Dale came by with a zucchini plant with extremely remorseful eyes. We all realized that we are blessed. If that is the worst thing they ever do in collusion this is good. Even if it was just laundry, I am impressed with the incredible friendship and loyalty which has endured between these two for so many years, and I know many years to come. I called Dale's father this morning, told him this was the neighborhood laundry service, checking to see if he needed to have any clothes dried. His reply was "Oh....Lordy." I am still laughing. I will use this story someday...most likely at Dale's wedding. :)