Being good

Groggily, I awoke from the deep black sleep. Something was cautioning me to get up, my Papa senses were tingling, just then I heard my wife’s voice calling for my daughter, “FAITH!!!! FAITH! FAITH!” It wasn’t the  get-over-here-your-in -trouble yell to which I’ve grown accustom. This was a frantic, sort of terrified scream.

I leaped out of bed, grabbed my jeans as I was running down the hall and somehow managed to slide into them before rushing out the garage door. I was worried because I could hear the worry in my wife’s tone. I went flying by Kellee to try and take control of the situation.  If you’re a parent you understand the fear that grips your heart. I was preparing for the worst; someone had taken my daughter, she was hit by a car, or that kind of thing. I saw nothing. The street was quiet this particular early afternoon, someone must have snatched her.

But before my suspicions could grow, my wife stopped me, “Oh, I’m sorry honey. I can’t find Faith but I think she’s over at Chuck’s house (the boy her age that lives across the street), I’ve already told her not to go over there.”

So, I stood in the middle of our cul-de-sac and screamed at the top of my lungs, “Faith Ann!!!! Get over here now!!!!” A couple of seconds later my daughter peered around the side of Chuck’s house with Chuck following close behind, her chocolate brown eyes doublewide. And she had that look all over her face. I could tell, because it’s one I’ve worn myself a time or two.

I wore the same expression when I was Faith’s age after my parents picked me up from my friends Halloween party where we snuck into the refrigerator and drank a couple of beers. When my parent’s asked, I couldn’t hide the face, I knew I couldn’t lie my way through the lagers.

I wore the same expression the summer before my 9^th grade year, in my summer fling’s backyard, making out in her pool while the parents were gone. When suddenly her Dad appeared and said he had been watching us for ten minutes. I knew I was guilty before the court, and as he told my friends and me, He was the Judge, Jury, and Executioner. I was guilty. Surprisingly though, he was more upset that my friends were jumping off the diving board onto his boogie boards than he was that I was smooching on his daughter.

Anyhow, Faith had the look written all over her face.  We went inside the house and I took my seat on the couch, smiled and very softly began to dialogue with my daughter.

"Did you know your mom told you not to go over to Chuck’s and to stay in our front yard?"

"Yes, Papa."

"So, why did you go over there when you were instructed not to?"

"I don’t know Papa."

"What were you doing on the side of chuck’s house?"

"Um….well, papa we were just talking?"

(Papa senses tingling like crazy!) "What were you talking about?"

"Ummm…about being good! Me and Chuck were just talking about how we need to be good Papa."

"Faith, stick out your tongue."

My daughter reluctantly agreed.

My eyes widened, my nose flared! I told her, “Faith there are huge bumps all over your tongue. You’re lying to me.”

This was an old technique my mom used to sniff out the lies before we knew better.

Faith's doublewide eyes enlarged even more. Now she was starting to shake a little. It probably helped that she had just recently watched Pinocchio.

I shook my head in disappointment, “Faith go to your room and think about what you’re telling me.”

Ten minutes later I called her back out, “Are you ready to tell me the truth?”

“Yes, Papa.”

What were you doing on the side of Chuck’s house.

"Well….ummm... Papa, I just… I just didn’t want you to know that we were not kissing."

"You were not kissing?"

 "Yeah, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to know that we were not kissing."

"Why would you tell me you were not kissing? I didn’t say anything about kissing. Why would you mention kissing if you were not kissing?"

Sure, I knew the answer, but there was some enjoyment in seeing my daughter squirm through her web of deceit.

Faith looked flustered and confused. She couldn’t untangle this lie.

Kellee stepped in and took over, “So, Faith what you’re really telling us is that you and chuck were kissing."

"Yes."

"What kind of kissing were you doing?"

Every muscle tightened, I didn’t want to hear the answer, but it came nonetheless.

"The good kind."

Faith then proceeded to show us by puckering her lips and making a couple of smooching sounds.