Marie in the Soda Bar (28 February)

Marie was obsessed with collecting tidbits to bolster her position as Port Glen’s chief gossip monger… Each time we met, the obvious prize was any improper conduct of Granny’s I might be naïve enough to disclose or merely confirm. That much was self-evident. My one perplexity was why Marie took me for such a simpleton. Only in retrospect did I recognize how difficult it would have been for her to deduce the level of vigilance I had acquired while navigating the conversational shoals at home.

The strategy I adopted with her was uncomplicated: stick to plausible generalities. That tactic usually served me well. And by the time my straw vacuumed up the last of my milkshake, Grandpa would typically be there to whisk me back outside.

(p. 35)

Too often children’s supposed gullibility is exploited by adults whose curiosity risks complicating what should be a totally innocent period of life. Such prying may well be merely careless rather than ill-intentioned, but the impact is the same. Do any of your own childhood recollections include such tense moments? If they do, why not leave a Comment?

(Illustration generated by AI)