BUILDING CHARACTER

As I grew from a teenager to my early twenties, my relationship with my parents seemed to change to one of a more adult natural arrangement. Mom had put away her wooden spoon for discipline, and Dad was starting to admit I was HIS son, after all!

I was getting to the point where they needed me more and I was always available for them. Dad and I had worked together when I was earning my way through college in the summers and after school while in high school, and Mom, who didn’t drive, always needed a ride!

 Mom could usually be found in a state of hysterics, trying to stifle a laugh as I did different tricks on Dad. Oh, she lived for the tricks I played!

 One of my favorite remembrances was taking my little sister’s doll and removing a voice activator that repeated what you said; back to you, in baby talk!

 One late afternoon right before dad came home from work, I set it up under my father’s kitchen chair where he would eat dinner. Mom watched with fascination as I lay under his chair and took some white surgical tape and began taping the voice activator to the bottom of the chair.

 “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

 “I’m taping this under Dad’s chair, and when he talks, it will repeat back to him.”

 “Oh!” Then she starts to laugh.

 Mom did housework, she didn’t have time to think of these things, and I took that on. (Someone had to do it!)

 Dad comes home that night, and Mom puts the dinner out, and Dad pours himself a glass of wine, and I start in.

 “So Dad, are we working on Saturday?”

 “As far as I know!”

 (Echo repeats in a child’s voice.)

 Dad jumps out of his chair and stands behind it, looking confused.

 Mom is trying to stifle her laugh, choking as she does, and I look up and ask:

 “What’s the matter?”

 “WHAT THE HELLL WAS THAT?”

 (Echo repeats in a child’s voice.)

 Dad looks at me bug-eyed.

 “YOU DIDN’T HEAR THAT?”

 (Echo repeats in a child’s voice.)

 “Hear what?”

 Mom cannot control herself anymore and laughs out loud.

 Dad is starting to get a grin that says it all:

 Come OOONNN! Fong…”

 (Echo repeats in a child’s voice.)

 “Jesus Chr…”

 (Echo repeats in a child’s voice.) Now I’m laughing harder than Mom, who is holding her sides, and I can’t even hear anything from laughing so hard.

 “OK, what did your son do?”

(Echo repeats in a child’s voice.)

 I was HER son to Dad when I did something unusual or wrong.

 “Who? That character? What makes you think he did something?” She is laughing and can’t speak her words well.

 “Sure, and you helped him. That dopey…”

(Echo repeats in a child’s voice.) 

 But Dad got his revenge one night. Mom had her TV shows, usually a comedy, and Dad had his shows, usually a murder mystery, they never watched TV in the same room. Dad had a remote that he used in the bedroom that operated the TV in the den also.

 Mom was watching her show, and Dad struck, sneaking up on Mom, who’s back is to the doorway. Dad changes the channel on Mom! She doesn’t realize it at first.

 Suddenly she realizes she’s been watching the wrong show, and can’t figure out how!

 She changes it again to her show, and Dad waits then strikes again!

 Now Mom is scared, and can’t figure it out still! Dad is getting his revenge, and happily so. Finally, she changes the channel again and as Dad stands there with the remote, Mom catches his reflection in the TV screen and gives chase.

 Yes, my parents, acting like children!