Kids

An actual interaction between myself and a 6 year-old child at recess this week…as best I can recall. Perhaps you had to be there, but I’ll give it a go anyway.

 The kid, I’ll call Two’fer (TF) because I couldn’t understand what he told me his name was. Sounded like Two’fer to me. Cool enough… His friend I'll call KAT.

 TF: Excuse me. Have you seen a kid…my friend?

 ME: Who’s that?

TF: His name is KAT. He was here but he left. We were playing right here (points at the ground under the flying fox) Have you seen him?

 ME: Sorry, I don’t know KAT. What does he look like?

 TF: He’s…well he’s this taaaallll (holds his hand to the top of his head), he has a face (with two index fingers he traces a slow circle around his face from his scalp to the bottom of his chin) shaped like this.

 Then he looks at me inquisitively, waiting for an answer.

 ME: No…I haven’t seen anyone like that. Is he in your class?

 TF: Yea! And he coughs when he walks…like this, “Cough, cough.” But he doesn’t cough when he jogs. That’s when like running but more slow. But he coughs when he runs. Sooo, if you listen…if you listen and you hear a, “Cough, cough” that’s him. His name’s KAT.

 ME: Ok, I’ll have a listen. If I hear someone that sounds like that I’ll tell him Two’fer’s looking for him.

 TF: Ok, thanks.

 ME: Who’s you teacher anyway?

 TF: Alex

 ME: Cool…

 So I walked off, ran into Alex and relayed the story. He chuckled and agreed. “That sounds like Two’fer.” Then I asked him if he could point out KAT for me. He briefly scanned the playground and said, “Here he comes”, pointing at a kid running toward us from a short distance. “That’s KAT”.

 I look over at this little guy running past, arms pumping at his sides, I turn to speak and almost as if on cue:

 “Cough, cough!”

 Classic! I almost peed myself laughing!!!

 ME: Excuse me! Is your name KAT?

 KAT: Yes.

 ME: Well, Two’fer is looking for you. He’s over by the flying-fox.

 KAT: Ok

 …and then he ran off.

 KAT: “Cough, cough.”

...true story