In between photo sessions, Sergio has taken up playing guitar. He's gotten quite good over the past few weeks and can strum his way through most popular songs.
His friend Julian brought over his electric guitar and poor excuse for a drum kit so we now have a shabby band set up in the garage. It's fun.
After dinner yesterday, Sergio went into the garage to practice guitar and left Amanda and I to chat. Just moments later we heard a genuine yell from his direction.
Sergio stormed into our room with a concerned look.
"Dude, I just got f$!?ing shocked by the guitar!" he said. "My whole body is shaking. I'm really freaked the f$!? out! You have to see what's going on."
Amanda and I put on our slippers and followed Sergio into the garage to investigate.
Sergio refused to pick the guitar back up, so I timidly picked up the guitar and turned on the amp. I played the guitar with no shake, rattle or roll of electricity. Amanda touched the guitar. Nothing.
"Dude, I think it's fine," I said. "Try again."
Sergio stepped up to touch the guitar stings again and jumped back in sincere shock. I busted into laughter while skillfully playing a "Twist and Shout" chord progression, subconsciously inspired by Sergio's reaction.
"You are some kind of mutant freak, dude!" I said in between gasps for air. "You have some electric superpower or something! Ha!"
Humor had escaped Sergio, who insisted he was having muscle spasms in his legs. He had begun sweating, nervous about his unwanted powers. Practically panting, he said, "I might have to go to the hospital. I need to look up what the f$!? this is all about on the Internet. What the f$!?, man!"
With the energy of John Lennon's wail "Well shake it a baby now!" Sergio fled to his trusty computer.
The scientist she is, Amanda noticed a dissimilarity between the three of us. She said that she and I were wearing shoes while Sergio was barefoot. From this we determined that the outlet wasn't grounded and neither was Sergio, which was why he felt the shock that we hadn't. We went back inside to explain the hypothesis to Sergio.
By this time, he was absolutely frantic and likely envisioning all of the little pieces he'd be chopped into at some lab to determine the source of his super-human electric energy. Amanda explained to him the "Rubber Sole" hypothesis and he bought into it as it might save him from life in a test tube.
Sergio put on some shoes and proceeded back to the garage. He picked up the guitar and turned on the amp. He strummed the guitar. No shock, just a G chord followed by a sigh of relief signifying that he once again felt normal.
He celebrated with a Shins song.