This must be handled carefully.
No need to be silly. A father should remain calm and reasonable.
Apparently.
There’s a boy on the scene. I’m told it could be serious. The real deal.
All this time, I’ve been keeping watch over The Teenager. Doing my best to keep those crazy high school kids in baggy shorts away. Seems my surveillance has been on the wrong daughter.
While The Teenager fights them off with a stick and waits for Cody Simpson (young pop singer in baggy shorts) to discover her, the little sister has been growing up.
Yes, Daughter Two has been struck by Cupid.
I know this because she told me. She was very excited about it. So much so that she failed to notice my knees buckle.
The Treasurer, who reads me like a dog-eared book, was expecting such a reaction, and caught me. It’s becoming a habit.
This is not quite the traditional tale of love and romance. More a Grade Six version.
A deal is in place with one of her best friends. The boy’s current girlfriend. But not for much longer.
The lad has declared that he likes Daughter Two instead. So there will be a handover, much like sharing a chocolate muffin at first break.
The ceremony will take place on Friday. Everyone seems quite happy with the arrangement. My head was spinning.
We asked if this had the potential to cause problems with their friendship. No, she said. The other girl is fine. She’s moving on too. Everyone’s a winner.
As I pondered the generosity of the younger generation, I was advised there was a video that I needed to see.
We gathered around the laptop, to see a skinny blonde boy dancing. It must have been hot that day, because he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
It was him. A smooth-moving eleven year old with protruding ribs and footy shorts. And his own YouTube page.
Daughter Two was giggling like a … schoolgirl. So too The Teenager. Even The Treasurer was enjoying it. They thought he was putting on quite a show.
I was speechless. When he wasn’t strutting to the music, he was talking to the camera. About everything and nothing. In his lounge room. Where does a kid get that sort of confidence?
It would seem I’m about to find out. We’ve having Daughter Two’s birthday party next week. And he’s invited.
Each night we receive strict instructions on how to act. Most of the directions are aimed at me.
Don’t ask him questions. No bad jokes. Avoid any talk about his dancing. Don’t mention the footy. Most of all Dad, DON’T embarrass me!
As if that would happen. I’ve promised to be on my best behaviour. All I’ll do is have a simple chat with him. Father to Dancing Boy. What could go wrong?
And there’s one more thing. A girl’s first relationship is a delicate matter. Privacy is important. I’d hate for anything to go wrong. Do me a favour and keep this between us.
Hold All Tickets 