Saturday, April 11, 2026

The Universe Tries to Get Hick in Trouble

Hick normally doesn't need any help getting himself in trouble. Thursday evening, The Universe gave him an assist. 

I knew that Hick was spending the morning working in the more remote nowhere of former Backcreek Neighbors Nick and Bev's house. Then he would be at his SUS2.5 puttering around until his long-awaited MRI at 3:30. I was off running errands with The Pony, and returned home at 4:30.

I was hoping for some kind of update on the MRI. The technician is not supposed to tell you anything. But we had a friend who worked in the radiology department of a local hospital, who told us The Pony had pneumonia when he was four. Good thing! Doctors had him seeing a cardiologist because he tired out so easily, and was listless, and didn't even want to play at Chuck E. Cheese. With her input, we were able to advocate for The Pony to get treatment for pneumonia, though we kept the cardiologist appointment, and heart issues were ruled out.

Anyhoo... I didn't hear anything from Hick. He's usually home by 5:00. I thought he might have gone back to his SUS2.5 after the MRI. Maybe he had a customer he was meeting. His phone doesn't work (for me) from inside his SUS2.5. I sat down to scratch my lottery tickets. 5:00 came and went. No Hick. No text or call. Maybe the MRI appointment ran late.

By 5:30, I was getting worried. It shouldn't take that much longer, even with a late appointment. Surely Hick would have let me know. He must be on the way, thinking he wasn't all that late to warrant communication.

By 6:00, I couldn't stand not-knowing. What if they saw something on the MRI, and were rushing around trying to get Hick admitted to the hospital! It had been such a long time getting that appointment. Maybe Hick's conditioned had worsened!

I didn't want to bother Hick if he was not able to use his phone. But I couldn't take the suspense. I called him at 6:05.

"Where are you?"

"Didn't you get the text?"

"NO! I didn't get any text!"

"I sent one around 5:00. I went by to pick up my tractor from HOS [Hick's Oldest Son]. We brought it home, and now I'm taking HOS back. We're about halfway to his place."

"Oh. Okay. See you later."

I don't like to talk to Hick while he's driving, because HOS's roads are even more country than ours, and Hick is not the best driver even when he's not distracted. I checked my phone again. Nope. The last text I had from Hick was 11:30 a.m., when he had acknowledged the text I sent him at 10:45, telling him to use the debit card to pay for the MRI.

Huh. Hick SAID he sent me a text. But maybe he forgot to actually hit SEND. Or maybe he sent it to the wrong person. He'd better not be making this up, just to stay out of trouble!

When Hick got home just before 7:00, he immediately got out his phone to show me. 

"See? I sent it at 5:05! Telling you that we brought the tractor, and I was taking HOS home."

"I see it there. But it doesn't say DELIVERED. Mine either says DELIVERED, or it says READ after the person opens it."

"Mine don't do that. It changes color."

"Well. I guess you sent it. But I didn't get it!"

"I wondered why you didn't answer me back like you usually do."

Hick is off the hook for this one. The Universe is a pot-stirrer!

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