Mom's Ingenuity

The afternoon of my son's first day at kindergarten, I received a call from a very good friend. He had gone to my son's school that afternoon to pick up his three kids after school. He observed my son, and two other kindergarten boys walking down the middle of the street to the babysitter's house. He told me if it had been his kid, he would want to know. I thanked him for the information.

That evening after supper, I sat down with my son. In as stern a MOM's voice as I could muster, I told him, "I KNOW what YOU did after school on the way to Anna's (the babysitter)! I could tell by the look on his face he knew exactly what I was talking about. I continued, "I have a FRIEND that lives in a house YOU pass by on the way to ANNA'S and SHE told me! She WILL be keeping an eye on YOU. If YOU EVER do anything like that again, I WILL KNOW." There was no doubt in my mind from the growing redness appearing on his face and ears that he heard me loud and clear. Just how loud and clear would become evident as time passed.

There were no more problems that year or the following year. I forgot the incident.

When my son was in the third grade, he asked me one evening, after supper, "Mom, who's your friend?" I did not know which "friend" he was asking about. "What friend?" I asked.

Slightly agitated, he replied, "You know, the one that lives on the way to Anna's!"

"Oh," I replied, as the memory, like a lightning bolt, flashed into mind. "THAT friend. Why, I am not going to tell you. She is STILL keeping an EYE on YOU!" The look on his face betrayed his thought, and I knew that whatever his plan was, it had just been derailed. I had a bit of sympathy for him, though, as I realized what an impression my "friend" had had on him, so I added, "When you graduate from the 6th grade, and begin middle school, I will tell you who she is."

Except for an incident on the last day of school in the 5th grade, where he and his buddies tried to play hookie, all had been well. He and his buddies had waited until they reached the schoolyard before darting into a tree-covered area around the school. They were milling around the trees when the phys ed teacher saw them, and rounded them up! When the school called me at work to inform me of my errant son, I had to stifle a laugh. "Hookie, on the last day of school?" I realized after his 6th grade graduation that he had probably effectively avoided my "friend's" all-seeing EYES by executing this maneuver. What other mischief had he and his buddies wrought?

It is now the afternoon of his 6th grade graduation. Immediately following the graduation, he came up to me and said, "OK, Mom, now, who's your friend?" Again, the memory had faded, and I did not know who he meant. "What friend?" I asked.

"YOU KNOW," he said, somewhat annoyed, the one that lives on the way to Anna's!"

I was stunned. Only then did I realize how loud and clear that little kindergartener had heard me, all those years ago.. What to do?

Taking a breath, I looked at him and said," Wes, do you remember when I told you about Santa Claus?"

There was a very pregnant pause. As his eyes widened and his face reddened, I knew he had made the connection.

His subsequent "MO-O-OM!!!!" that resonated deep from within him, could be heard echoing through out the school halls!