 |
|
Our nine year old daughter, Christy, was sitting at the kitchen table, finishing breakfast. Her father had just left for work amid much speculation by his off spring concerning his chances of getting the car safely out of our snow covered drive-way. “Do you know what Daddy did this morning?” Christy asked me. Since it takes one clock radio with the volume turned on full force and a merciless shove out of bed to convince me another day has dawned, there was only one way I could answer my daughter. So I said: “No, what did your daddy do this morning?” After I showed the proper amount of curiosity, she replied: “He came in my room real early this morning and switched on the light. I tried to hide my eyes, but he pulled all of my blankets off the bed. Then he picked me up and carried me into the living room, because he wanted me to see how much it snowed last night!” After watching the weather report last evening, the children were pleased to learn snow was predicted, while my husband and I, being of a somewhat different nature, did not share their noisy enthusiasm. During the course of the conversation, an old family joke was once again aired. Would Daddy go out on the strength of that prediction and put chains on the car? The topic was lengthy and fascinating, because the last time Daddy prepared himself in this manner, the weather man had been wrong. There was our car, chained and ready, but unfortunately, no snow had fallen! Everyone had something to say about the subject. Everyone that is, but Daddy, who remained conspicuously silent. Eventually he donated one small morsel to the gossipers. He mentioned that the chains were at the gas station and he couldn't put them on the car, without making a trip there. As usual, Christy was both talking and eating at the same time. Her cereal disappeared as she continued her story: "When Daddy told me why he was taking me out of bed, do you know what I said to him?” A sly smile played on the corner of her mouth. The ending to this story was almost too good to keep! “I said, Daddy, did you go to the gas station last night and get the chains for the car?” “He said no, he didn't get them yet.” “So I told him, well then, you don’t have to show me how much it snowed. I know it must have snowed a lot! You see, I can always tell, by what you do with the chains. If you put them on the car, it won’t snow at all... But if you don't use them, then there is always enough snow to let us sled down the hill!” With her punch line perfectly executed, Christy happily sipped a second glass of juice. |
 |