Hysteria

Prompt: Roaring Laughter
What was the last thing that gave you a real, authentic, tearful, hearty belly laugh? Why was it so funny?

I never drank liquor, but it had been a difficult couple of weeks, travelling by car with my father-in-law. I was starving, so ordered a Bloody Mary because of the substantial food garnish; then another one.

We looked at the menu. We were in a picturesque country restaurant somewhere in rural Ontario. Outside, a water wheel rotated as a clear stream ran through it. Inside, a fire roared in a giant fireplace, casting an orange glow over everyone.

My father-in-law, orange, said, “What’s Chateaubriand?”

My husband started to explain about beef in puff pastry. My father-in-law listened carefully, as if he was listening to his barrister preparing him to testify at a murder trial.

I started to giggle. It blew up into a laugh. This was it, the last dumbass moment I would have to spend on this vacation. The Bloody Mary shot out of my nose. They looked at me in horror, which made me laugh even harder. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I got the hiccups. I couldn’t speak. To this day, my husband need only say the word Chateaubriand and I feel a sense of hysteria and panic.

You clearly had to be there.