* Tangetial Little Brother Story

I was on the phone with Little Brother the other day just kind of chatting when he said, "Oh, there's something I need to talk to you about. I need a favor."

So I begin bracing myself for all possibilities that could be coming and he starts explaining how there is this bar in Rhody that he goes to that has a Trivia Night once a week. He's talking about tournaments and scoring and some grand prize, but of course, I'm not really listening. So then he says that his "team" did alright but he just knows that I could answer all the questions. "Like, we didn't know who played the nerdy kid in The Breakfast Club."

"Anthony Michael Hall."

"Right, we know that now. Or how about, 'Who was the Prime Minister of England from 1979 to ... something?'"

"Margaret Thatcher. And you're telling me you didn't know the answers to these questions?"

"Well, do you know the woman in the Philipines, there was corruption and she was arrested ..."

"What year? Because I believe they're currently trying to impeach President Gloria Aroyo but I'm guessing for the purposes of Trivia Night at O'Casey's the answer is Imelda Marcos. Look, if this contest has such a great grand prize, why hasn't word caught on? Why don't some smart people just go down to the bar and clean up?"

"No, there's all sorts of categories. Like Geometry. And Madonna albums."

Well, geometry would be a no-go for me, but I'm pretty sure I could clean up with Madonna as well. Now it occurs to me that maybe my brother is going to ask me to come by on his team for Trivia night! Why not? I'm going to Rhode Island for a long weekend. Wouldn't that be something? Nerdy Big Sister and cool Little Brother triumph over the Miller Light crowd. I'm actually flattered just to be invited until my brother says, "So next time, you have to have your cell phone on, and I'm going to call you and you can give me the answers." I am not being drafted. I am not going to get Gatorade poured over my head. I am the freakin' Phone-a-Friend.

"Okay, well, when is the next Trivia Night?"

"Next Thursday, are you going to be home?"

"Actually no, my friend is coming up and we're going to a big concert. It will have to be the Thursday after that."

"No! This Thursday is the last Trivia Night! Bring your phone to the concert and you have to keep it turned on."

"What? I'm going to be at a concert. It's going to be loud. What makes you think I'm going to be able to hear my phone. And I didn't even tell you what the concert is. What if it's Carnegie Hall? You think I'm going to take your call in the middle of Jazz at Lincoln Center to name the members of the A-Team for you?!"

"What's the concert?"

Pause. "Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright."

"You'd better take my calls."

So, if you're at the concert at Prospect Park on Thursday night and you see a little girl shouting into her cell phone "Huey Lewis and the News 'I Want a New Drug'!" I'm not asking Ben if he's taking requests.