April Fools: A Love Story

Can you win an April Fools’s War?

I DID! 

Well…maybe after three years of escalating shenanigans between my husband and I, we were too wary of each other to try anything else.

It started over three decades ago, when we were engaged.

Being young and poor and blinded by love, we did what two poor people with no sense ought to do: spent WAY too much on our wedding rings.

Billy took me to an exclusive custom jeweler where we found a big rock for my finger and wedding bands for both of us studded with diamonds (reasoning that it would be better to get what we wanted now so we’d never be tempted to upgrade—which would be terribly non-nostalgic in regards to our original rings).

Overwhelmed by choices, I narrowed it down to two favorites for some time, then made a final decision. About a month later, April 1st, 1989 to be precise, I thought it would be funny to tell my then fiancée that I had changed my mind. I wanted the other ring! 

Having never fought nor experienced any real disagreement, and knowing the original ring choice must be well underway, I thought it would be interesting to see how Billy handled the news. Of course, I didn’t plan on taking it too far…I’d jump in with “April Fools!” before he became very frustrated by my belated, costly indecision. I picked up the phone and called him…

Instead of getting frustrated, he graciously said we would let the jeweler know and work on getting the other style. Surprised and touched that he wasn’t at all miffed by the idea, I certainly couldn’t miss the disappointment in his voice. Well, that smarted! So, of course, I had to cheer him up by letting him in on the joke. After I said “April Fools!” and we laughed together and he admitted he had not been happy with the news but was trying to be understanding, he went on to invite me to dinner after work.

Long story short, my engagement ring happened to have been ready THAT DAY and he had planned on surprising me with it over dinner. Which meant my phone call was actually more disappointing (and also a greater relief!) than he could even let on to me over the phone. When Billy whipped the ring out and slipped it on my finger that evening, I couldn’t have been more surprised and more pleased. Not only did I have a gorgeous ring, but I obviously had a wonderful and patient man with whom to spend the rest of my life.

*Side note, I lost this ring on our 15th Anniversary 🙁 But that’s a story for another time.

Fast forward one year to April 1st, 1990. A Sunday. It would seem my little stunt from the year before had made an impact because it was payback time for the new wife! We got ready for church, walked out of our apartment, and headed for the car.

But, wait! The car was no where to be found. Our normal parking spot was vacant. Had we parked somewhere else? Head scratching and questions commenced as the truth descended: our car had been stolen! 

Before I could get completely distraught and worked up, Billy smiled wide and announced, “April Fools!”. Relief and laughter descended. Turns out, he had gotten up in the middle of the night and moved the car to a far-off space in the complex. I had been paid back for my little joke the year before.

Would I leave well enough alone and call it Even-Stevens?

Nahhhh.

Knowing that the following year we would both be on our guard, I saved my little scheme for the evening and enlisted the help of a friend.

Our first apartment together—the one where we had the fake car theft—was near a very annoying elderly woman named Hermena. Though well meaning, she also liked to call us at strange hours, and would trap us into long and boring conversations—by phone or in person (this was in the technology Dark Ages, before answering machines or caller ID, there was no way to screen our calls).

We had moved to a different apartment complex by the time April 1st,1991 rolled around but still received the occasional phone call from our old neighbor.

As I said, we both suspected each other throughout the day and joked how we would never be able to pull one over on the other after the last two years.

Or would we…?

Late that evening—late enough that any chance of a practical joke seemed long past doable—a friend called. I answered the phone and pretended to be speaking to Hermena. I acted like her apartment had flooded and she needed a place to stay for a few days, maybe longer. And I covered the receiver and asked Billy if we could go get her right then and there. What could he do but agree?

Billy definitely wasn’t thrilled with the idea of being trapped under the same roof with Hermena for the next several days. Still, helping her was the right thing to do. We got in the car and headed over to our old apartment complex, commiserating together. 

Of course, as we pulled in to rescue her, I got to enjoy the triumphant pleasure of saying “April Fools!” yet again!

After a good laugh, Billy admitted he was thrilled to be the butt of the joke this year since it meant there would be NO Hermena! The joke brought a wave of relief and basically gave me the April Fools trophy for life.

It’s been 29 years today since this last incident. I think it might be time to plan for a 30th April Fools anniversary next year.

Any ideas???

What about you…have you been fooled or done a bit of fooling? Do tell!