(no subject)
Yesterday, Bryony invited a friend to spend the evening working on a history project. They both belong to the Young Archaeologists' Club at Foxton Museum and it is something to do with that. Jenny came to help too. It was a weird feeling, watching Jenny, Robin and Bryony so intent on something that seemed incredibly academic to me. I never thought any kid of mine would be so thrilled by piles of books about the post-Roman period.
When they stopped for hot chocolate and cake, Bryony came over to me. "Do you like Robin?" she said.
"I do." I said, "He's a good lad. He knows a lot about Romans, doesn't he?"
"Do you really like him?" she said.
The youth in question was, at that time, answering the questions of Benedict and Rhiannon, both of whom were shouting their questions at him.
"Yes." I said, "Robin's great." I looked at her and said, "Why does it matter so much. Is he your boyfriend?"
"No." she said.
"Just no?" I said.
"He wants to be my boyfriend, but I said I had to ask you first." she said, "So is it alright?"
"Not many girls your age would care about what I thought." I said, wondering what I thought.
"Not many girls my age can talk to their dads about boys." she said.
I looked across at Robin, trying not to immediately hate him for daring to be important to my little girl. I looked at her, seeing how much she wanted me to like him.
"What do you think?" she said.
"Did Romans kill the dinosaurs?" said Rhiannon, loudly.
"No," said Robin, "They were dead before people existed."
"There was a time before people?" said Rhiannon.
"Here," said Robin, "I'll draw you a timeline."
"Can you put me on it?" said Rhiannon.
"Timelines are things in the past." said Benedict, "You're not in the past."
"She was born in the past." said Robin. I was beginning to see why he might appeal to Bryony.
Bryony was looking at me. "I don't kiss him or anything." she said.
"I know." I said.
"You're not saying anything." she said.
"I think I'm a little off-balance. I forget sometimes how old you are."
Robin suddenly glanced up, his eyes on Bryony, with all the innocent yearning of first love. She blushed sweetly.
"The night you were born, I saw all Heaven's wisdom in your eyes." I said, "You have been wise ever since. I trust your judgement more than people four times your age. I trust your behaviour more than any other kid on the planet. If you deem this boy worthy of your affection, I am very happy for him to be your boyfriend, on the understanding that any lack of respect on his part will be met with terrible retribution."
They went back to their studies and Rhiannon came over to me, clutching her timeline. "Here's a timeline of me." she said, "I was born a long time after all the dinosaurs were dead." She said it like an alibi.
"Oh, that's good." I said.
"Were dinosaurs before you?" she said.
"Long, long before." I said.
"Daddy was born in the war." said Benedict.
"Daddy was not." I said.
Rhiannon looked at the timeline and sighed. "History is very big." she said.
"Yes, it is." I said.
"But I'm in it." she said.
"Yes, you are." I said.
"Everything in the world that has happened is in it." she said.
"Even when I fart?" said Benedict.
"That's right, Benedict," I said, "Keep it classy."
"Why are boys horrible?" said Rhiannon.
"All of us?" I said.
"I think most of you." she said.
Sean came in. "Is that cake?" he said hopefully.
"Were you born in the war?" said Rhiannon to him.
He brushed some mud off his jacket. "No," he said, "I just haven't changed out of my muddy clothes."
When they stopped for hot chocolate and cake, Bryony came over to me. "Do you like Robin?" she said.
"I do." I said, "He's a good lad. He knows a lot about Romans, doesn't he?"
"Do you really like him?" she said.
The youth in question was, at that time, answering the questions of Benedict and Rhiannon, both of whom were shouting their questions at him.
"Yes." I said, "Robin's great." I looked at her and said, "Why does it matter so much. Is he your boyfriend?"
"No." she said.
"Just no?" I said.
"He wants to be my boyfriend, but I said I had to ask you first." she said, "So is it alright?"
"Not many girls your age would care about what I thought." I said, wondering what I thought.
"Not many girls my age can talk to their dads about boys." she said.
I looked across at Robin, trying not to immediately hate him for daring to be important to my little girl. I looked at her, seeing how much she wanted me to like him.
"What do you think?" she said.
"Did Romans kill the dinosaurs?" said Rhiannon, loudly.
"No," said Robin, "They were dead before people existed."
"There was a time before people?" said Rhiannon.
"Here," said Robin, "I'll draw you a timeline."
"Can you put me on it?" said Rhiannon.
"Timelines are things in the past." said Benedict, "You're not in the past."
"She was born in the past." said Robin. I was beginning to see why he might appeal to Bryony.
Bryony was looking at me. "I don't kiss him or anything." she said.
"I know." I said.
"You're not saying anything." she said.
"I think I'm a little off-balance. I forget sometimes how old you are."
Robin suddenly glanced up, his eyes on Bryony, with all the innocent yearning of first love. She blushed sweetly.
"The night you were born, I saw all Heaven's wisdom in your eyes." I said, "You have been wise ever since. I trust your judgement more than people four times your age. I trust your behaviour more than any other kid on the planet. If you deem this boy worthy of your affection, I am very happy for him to be your boyfriend, on the understanding that any lack of respect on his part will be met with terrible retribution."
They went back to their studies and Rhiannon came over to me, clutching her timeline. "Here's a timeline of me." she said, "I was born a long time after all the dinosaurs were dead." She said it like an alibi.
"Oh, that's good." I said.
"Were dinosaurs before you?" she said.
"Long, long before." I said.
"Daddy was born in the war." said Benedict.
"Daddy was not." I said.
Rhiannon looked at the timeline and sighed. "History is very big." she said.
"Yes, it is." I said.
"But I'm in it." she said.
"Yes, you are." I said.
"Everything in the world that has happened is in it." she said.
"Even when I fart?" said Benedict.
"That's right, Benedict," I said, "Keep it classy."
"Why are boys horrible?" said Rhiannon.
"All of us?" I said.
"I think most of you." she said.
Sean came in. "Is that cake?" he said hopefully.
"Were you born in the war?" said Rhiannon to him.
He brushed some mud off his jacket. "No," he said, "I just haven't changed out of my muddy clothes."