Q & A #18
by Colleen Hillerup
"Mommy said we could have a freezie."
"Cool." The little boy looked around the kitchen. "Where's your dishwasher?"
"What's that?" Meredith pulled the fridge door open.
"The thing that washes your dishes, stupid."
"You mean Daddy?" Meredith pulled a chair over to the open refrigerator, climbed on top and pulled open the freezer door. She reached in and took two frozen treats from the compartment, handing one to her friend.
"That's not a freezie. That's a popsicle. Dumb girl."
Meredith snatched it from his hand. "Take that back."
The child contemplated the popsicle. "Okay. You're just a girl. Not dumb."
She handed it back. "Okay."
He sucked on his treat, and walked over a door. "Where's that go?"
Meredith climbed off the chair, and closed the fridge. "That goes downstairs. I'm not supposed to go without a grownup."
"Wuss." The boy pulled on the handle, opened the door and started down the stairs. "Fraidy cat coming?"
"Okay," she pouted, under duress. She followed him into the basement.
"Hey," he asked, "what's this?"
"That's Mommy's weights."
"Right. You mean your Dad's weights." He reached down and tugged on the bar. "Your Mom couldn't lift this."
"She can too. My Mommy's strong."
"And you're nuts." He looked at the flat weights on the bar. "Hey, that's even more than my dad's. Your dad can't lift that. No way your mom could."
"My Mommy can to lift that. And my Mommy can beat up your Daddy."
"You take that back, stupid girl."
"Will not."
The boy dropped his popsicle on the floor and pulled back his fist.
"Jackson!" He stopped at Buffy's voice. "I think you should leave. Now."
"Mommy," Meredith snivelled, "he says you can't lift up your weight."
"Really?" She knelt down and looked at her daughter. "What have I told you about coming down here?"
The little girl hung her head. "You said don't."
"I said don't. I want you to go up to your room and wait for me."
"I'm sorry, Mommy." Eyes filled with guilty tears, the child walked up the stairs.
"And time for you to go, Jackson. Don't come back." Buffy walked over to the weight. "Let me get this out of your way." She picked the heavy bar easily in one hand and set it to the side. Jackson's jaw hung open. "It's wrong to pick on people, especially when you know you're stronger than they are. It took me a long time to learn that."
The boy stared at her, then ran up the stairs. She heard the back door slam. Regretfully, she trudged up after him, hating the thought of disciplining her daughter. 'She would pick Spike's naptime.'
by Colleen Hillerup
"Mommy said we could have a freezie."
"Cool." The little boy looked around the kitchen. "Where's your dishwasher?"
"What's that?" Meredith pulled the fridge door open.
"The thing that washes your dishes, stupid."
"You mean Daddy?" Meredith pulled a chair over to the open refrigerator, climbed on top and pulled open the freezer door. She reached in and took two frozen treats from the compartment, handing one to her friend.
"That's not a freezie. That's a popsicle. Dumb girl."
Meredith snatched it from his hand. "Take that back."
The child contemplated the popsicle. "Okay. You're just a girl. Not dumb."
She handed it back. "Okay."
He sucked on his treat, and walked over a door. "Where's that go?"
Meredith climbed off the chair, and closed the fridge. "That goes downstairs. I'm not supposed to go without a grownup."
"Wuss." The boy pulled on the handle, opened the door and started down the stairs. "Fraidy cat coming?"
"Okay," she pouted, under duress. She followed him into the basement.
"Hey," he asked, "what's this?"
"That's Mommy's weights."
"Right. You mean your Dad's weights." He reached down and tugged on the bar. "Your Mom couldn't lift this."
"She can too. My Mommy's strong."
"And you're nuts." He looked at the flat weights on the bar. "Hey, that's even more than my dad's. Your dad can't lift that. No way your mom could."
"My Mommy can to lift that. And my Mommy can beat up your Daddy."
"You take that back, stupid girl."
"Will not."
The boy dropped his popsicle on the floor and pulled back his fist.
"Jackson!" He stopped at Buffy's voice. "I think you should leave. Now."
"Mommy," Meredith snivelled, "he says you can't lift up your weight."
"Really?" She knelt down and looked at her daughter. "What have I told you about coming down here?"
The little girl hung her head. "You said don't."
"I said don't. I want you to go up to your room and wait for me."
"I'm sorry, Mommy." Eyes filled with guilty tears, the child walked up the stairs.
"And time for you to go, Jackson. Don't come back." Buffy walked over to the weight. "Let me get this out of your way." She picked the heavy bar easily in one hand and set it to the side. Jackson's jaw hung open. "It's wrong to pick on people, especially when you know you're stronger than they are. It took me a long time to learn that."
The boy stared at her, then ran up the stairs. She heard the back door slam. Regretfully, she trudged up after him, hating the thought of disciplining her daughter. 'She would pick Spike's naptime.'