A DEAF PEOPLE DIALOGUE

PC=Personal cat

PC Pookie scratched her chin with application turning her cross-eyed eyes to the ceiling and then, looking down at me meauwed you start again ! Yes I said I start.

I was busy in the kitchen when the phone rang. I picked it up, it was the school principal. Oh gee, I thought what's happened now. He announced me in a reproachful voice that my son is smoking. Boff, I told myself at this age (15) they all try to smoke, that makes "adult". So I told him that I personally think that this is quite normal and that probably he did it too when he was that age. He was appalled and told me he never ever had. OK, I thought another angel.

Then he continued still in that reproachful voice that he (my son) is even smoking on the street ! That now, I thought, it's just about the limit ! I told him calmly that it is better for him and the school that my son doesn't smoke inside the school but on the street, and anyway what my son is doing on the street doesn't concern him at all ! Yes but, stammered the principal, you agree to that ? Of course I said, he will stop with that when he gets a little older. There were a pause, then he stammered I can't believe it ! Oh come on ! I said, I did it too when I was this age ! ( I didn't tell him that the first time I smoked I were 10 years old and it was a little cast pipe with peppermint tea, and made me awfully sick). Another pause and then almost mortally offended he told me that he just thought it was his duty to inform me and that he is surprised by my reaction and I should better watch what my son is doing. Now I got angry and hissed he should care about himself and his children and not put his nose in other family's stuff. Then I banged the phone down and returned to my kitchen, muttering in my non existing beard.

In the afternoon my son showed up, as usual in a good mood and greated me. I told him that the principal had called and repeated the whole converstation and added, this guy is crazy My son looked at me with big eyes and a disbelieving expression on his face and then said : But mom, he wasn't talking about cigarette smoking, it was hash ! Now it was my turn to look like an appaled owl. What ! I said also in disbelieve, That isn't true and you should .......Followed by a long speach, which I won't repeat here, it would be to long. Years after we still were laughing about that and my innocence. For me indeed smoking was smoking a cigarette and nothing else.

Pookie sighed and changed position. I she meauwed don't smoke but I like to take the butts out of the ashtray and play with them !