59. A Conversation

I was involved in a strange, almost bizarre conversation last Sunday afternoon.  My nephews, Oscar and Timo had come for lunch and before we ate, Timo, who is three, was sitting on my knee while we read The Beano.

I think The Beano is still the best of all comics.  On Saturday afternoon Caroline and I were looking at the comics in the rack at Sainsbury’s when I picked up the latest copy and put it in the trolley.

“No.  Don’t get that,” she said.  “It’s got no freebies - no stickers or models or games.”

“No it hasn’t and that’s because it’s a proper comic,” I told her.

Timo and I were looking at the latest exploits of Denis the Menace (who is a much better behaved boy now than he was 50 years ago.  He still does things that he shouldn’t but nowadays he is naughty rather than bad and in my opinion hardly lives up to his sobriquet) when we were skyped by my daughter.

I answered to find that the computer screen was filled with the face of William, my grandson.  This is how the conversation went:

“Hello William.”

“Hello Grandpa.  Who’s that?”

“This is Timo.  Do you remember him?”

“No.”

“You met him last July.  Say hello to Timo.”

“Hello Timo.”

“It’s you birthday next week isn’t it William?  How old will you be?”

“Three.”

“Ooh, three.  Are you looking forward to it?"

“NO!” shouted William, his eyes filling up with tears.  “I don’t want to be three.  I want to stay two!  I DON’T WANT TO GET OLD,” he wailed.

I was a little taken aback.  That was the sort of thing I’ve grown used to hearing Caroline say.

“Timo’s three."   I said.  “Timo, tell William something good about being three.”

Timo thought for a second.

“You won’t be dead for a long time,” three-year-old Timo told two-year-old William, reassuringly.

Strange boys.

You may find my last ever regular posting here: At the End of The day