Q & A #44
Meredith played with the kitten on the living room rug, while Clem twitched in his chair. "Meredith, I think maybe you should take that upstairs."
"Why? Daddy says you like kittens." She rubbed Puppy's tummy as he lay on his back, giggling as he wriggled under her hand.
He tapped his claws on the arm of the chair. "Because it looks very taste ... very del ... Because I'm allergic."
"Oh, I'm sorry Uncle Clem. You weren't sneezing. My friend Georgia sneezes when she's 'lergic." She picked up the kitten. "Come on, Puppy. You're going to stay in Auntie Dawn's room." She ran up the stairs with her little bundle, as Clem sighed in relief. She was back downstairs in an instant. "Do you feel better now?" she asked.
"Much." He looked around the room. "Want to watch TV?"
"Nope." She thought a moment. "Want to play dress up?"
"Not really." He tapped his foot. "When are your parents getting home?"
"I don't know. They had to do stuff." She jumped up and went to the shelf. "Want to play a game?"
"Sure." He stood up and walked over to her. "Candyland? That sounds good. You'll have to show me how." He pulled the box from the shelf and sat it on the floor.
"It's easy." She opened the lid and pulled out the board. "Uncle Clem, what does a best man do?"
"Guess you've got weddings on the mind, huh? Let me see." He scratched his bald head. "Give the groom a bachelor party."
"What's a bachelor?"
"The man who isn't married. Like your dad, sort of. 'Cept he's not really a bachelor either, cause of you and your mom. Oh, and he makes sure the groom has the rings, and he just sees that he's okay. Holds him up if he faints during the ceremony. Stuff like that." He pulled out the game pieces. "Why?"
"Cause I heard Daddy tell Mommy he was going to ask you to be the best man, and I think Daddy is the best man."
"Really?" Clem smiled. "Best man? Nobody ever asked me to be the best man before. Wow."
"Say yes, Uncle Clem, when he asks you." She beamed up at him. "I like you. You're nice."
"Thanks, Meredith." He patted the top of her head. "I like you too. Oh, and don't tell your dad you told me. I think it's supposed to be a surprise."
Meredith looked troubled. "I'm not supposed to keep secrets from Daddy and Mommy."
"Oh, that's a good rule." He thought a bit. "But if you don't tell him you told me, it's not really a secret. It's just not telling."
The child was confused, but she didn't want to argue. "Okay."
Meredith played with the kitten on the living room rug, while Clem twitched in his chair. "Meredith, I think maybe you should take that upstairs."
"Why? Daddy says you like kittens." She rubbed Puppy's tummy as he lay on his back, giggling as he wriggled under her hand.
He tapped his claws on the arm of the chair. "Because it looks very taste ... very del ... Because I'm allergic."
"Oh, I'm sorry Uncle Clem. You weren't sneezing. My friend Georgia sneezes when she's 'lergic." She picked up the kitten. "Come on, Puppy. You're going to stay in Auntie Dawn's room." She ran up the stairs with her little bundle, as Clem sighed in relief. She was back downstairs in an instant. "Do you feel better now?" she asked.
"Much." He looked around the room. "Want to watch TV?"
"Nope." She thought a moment. "Want to play dress up?"
"Not really." He tapped his foot. "When are your parents getting home?"
"I don't know. They had to do stuff." She jumped up and went to the shelf. "Want to play a game?"
"Sure." He stood up and walked over to her. "Candyland? That sounds good. You'll have to show me how." He pulled the box from the shelf and sat it on the floor.
"It's easy." She opened the lid and pulled out the board. "Uncle Clem, what does a best man do?"
"Guess you've got weddings on the mind, huh? Let me see." He scratched his bald head. "Give the groom a bachelor party."
"What's a bachelor?"
"The man who isn't married. Like your dad, sort of. 'Cept he's not really a bachelor either, cause of you and your mom. Oh, and he makes sure the groom has the rings, and he just sees that he's okay. Holds him up if he faints during the ceremony. Stuff like that." He pulled out the game pieces. "Why?"
"Cause I heard Daddy tell Mommy he was going to ask you to be the best man, and I think Daddy is the best man."
"Really?" Clem smiled. "Best man? Nobody ever asked me to be the best man before. Wow."
"Say yes, Uncle Clem, when he asks you." She beamed up at him. "I like you. You're nice."
"Thanks, Meredith." He patted the top of her head. "I like you too. Oh, and don't tell your dad you told me. I think it's supposed to be a surprise."
Meredith looked troubled. "I'm not supposed to keep secrets from Daddy and Mommy."
"Oh, that's a good rule." He thought a bit. "But if you don't tell him you told me, it's not really a secret. It's just not telling."
The child was confused, but she didn't want to argue. "Okay."