"Dad, how did Grandpa Mike discipline you?"

"Where did that come from?"

"I was just thinking about it. You don't exactly discipline me, except for yelling at me sometimes."

"I guess you've never needed it."

"Well, if I did, what would you do? What did Grandpa do?"

"Hum. He never spanked me."

"Did he ground you?"

"No, but like you, maybe I never needed grounding."

"Did he yell at you?"

"I suppose he did, a time or two. He never stopped my allowance or anything like that, as far as I can remember."

"You must have done something stupid when you were a kid, at least once."

"Absolutely. Many times. I remember in the fifth grade I socked a girl in the eye when she kept swiping my hat."

"What did Grandpa do then?"

"I guess he talked to me about it. He came with me to the girl's house so I could apologize. The funny thing is, I really liked her."

"How about something even worse than that?"

"Sit down, OK?... What happened?"

"I guess I'm really worried about you getting mad, and what you'll do... Last night... My first time with the car... I guess I messed it up pretty good... The worst part is, I was a little drunk when I did it."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No. I was coming home. I was alone. I guess I was going too fast. I scraped the side of the car along that concrete divider on the Parkway. I looked at it this morning and it's pretty bad. I think I can pay to get it fixed."

"Forget the car, Dave. It's insured. There's a process you follow to get it repaired and paid for. You'll see how that works. It's not important right now. You can always fix a car, or buy a new one."

"I know. I guess it's not the damage so much as I was drinking with my friends. That's not OK, I know, and for you to find out about it like this..."

"You're sixteen. I know your friends, and I was sixteen myself once, believe it or not. We're going to have a long and serious talk about alcohol and driving, but not now."

"Then what?"

"I want to make sure that you understand what's most important here. It's not the scrapes on the side of the car, or your drinking with friends. It's that you understand what it means to be the son of parents who love you and to be a responsible member of your community."

"I know I was stupid."

"You aren't stupid. Last night you made a stupid choice. No one got hurt, and that was good luck. It takes some good luck to get through this life in one piece, but you can't count on it."

"I was thinking this morning about what could have happened."

"Dave, if we lost you, it would break our hearts. In the same way, if you were to take someone else away from their family, or severely injure someone, you could never, ever make it right."

"I know you worry about me. I know that I could have hurt someone. I feel a little crazy thinking about what could have happened."

"Which is why I don't want to talk about dents and paint jobs or experimenting with alcohol right now. I just want to be sure that you understand how much we love you, and how important you are to us, and how important life is, to you and to us and to all the other parents and children in this community."

“You’re up early. I thought you said only us old ladies get out of bed before noon.”

“Oh, Mom, you are always so funny in the morning. Have I told you that recently?”

“Nooo. I think the last thing you said about my humor was, ”˜Please don’t say anything like that in front of my friends.’ Or something like that, right?”

“You know I think you’re funny! But I can’t let all my friends know. Then they will want to be here all the time hanging out with you instead of spending time with me. My mom can’t be more popular than I am. It’s not fair that you get the looks and the personality.”

“Uh-huh. Sure thing, Cally. Speaking of your friends, how did everything go last night?”

“Just fine. Fine. It was fun. We just hung out.”

“Were you nervous at all?”

“Nervous? Ha ha… Why should I be nervous, Mom?”

“Well, it was your first time driving the car all by yourself; I thought maybe you would have been a little anxious is all.”

“Nope, not me. Ummm… I think I’m gonna run upstairs and change clothes.”

“Now I’m not doing another load of laundry because you feel like you have to change ten times a day. What’s wrong with what you are wearing?”

“Oh, nothing. I meant I’m going to just go upstairs and slip my shoes on. I plan on heading over to Elizabeth’s house today. If you don’t care, that is. And she asked if I could stay for the weekend, too. Something about needing help with her dog.”

“Why can’t her parents help her with the dog? What’s wrong with it?”

“Her parents are real squeamish. The dog has been throwing up all over the house.”

“And you, Miss Cally, Queen of the I Can’t Even Be Bothered to Flush When You’re Done because it Grosses You Out, is going to help with a dog who can’t keep it’s dinner down?”

“Yea… She said he’s real sick, and you know how much I love that dog.”

“Anyway I can get you to love the toilet here that much?”

“See, Mom? That’s why you can’t be around my friends; I’d lose them all to you! Heh… Heh…”

“Well hurry up. I’m getting ready to head to the store and I’ll give you a ride.”

“NO! I mean, no. It’s okay.”

“Elizabeth lives two miles away. In this heat, you’d be throwing up too by the time you got there. Just get your shoes on so we can go. Wait, your flip-flops are by the door. Slip them on. I want to get out of here before your dad sees what you did to his car last night.”

“What? I didn’t do anything to Dad’s car!”

“Seriously, Cally? Come on, let’s just go.”

“Aren’t you mad? Am I in trouble?”

“Not a chance. I told him it was stupid to spend that much money on one car. I’ve been ticked about the fact he bought it for the last year. Stupid mid-life crisis. All the wasted gas money and insurance because he HAD to have a muscle car.”

“For real?”

“Shut up and move or I’ll tell him exactly what you did. Now help me push it out on the curb, and we can be gone by the time he wakes up. He doesn’t know you took it last night. Thank goodness for small favors.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“Love you too, kiddo.”

Morning son. You're up early.

Yeah, everyone went home early.

So you guys just went to Johns?

No, we were down at the river.

Nice night to be out in the woods by the water.

It was pretty wet from the rains the other day and the water was still pretty high. Hey dad, didn't you do a lot of four wheeling?

Oh yeah had lots of fun in the mud. Camped on the fire trails in the mountains. We would follow the trails and just stop anywhere to make camp. Those were fun times.

You ever get stuck?

Sometimes, I guess most of us got stuck at some point.

How did you get out?

We always had a couple of trucks going together. So there was always somebody to pull you out. Its like swimming in the river. You know what your mother says, "Don't swim alone.".

Yeah she's like that. So you guys had ropes with you to get out of the mud?

No, you're not going to pull a truck out with ropes. You need a good strong strap or a chain.

Sounds like fun, well I have to go. Meeting John in a little while.

Alright, take your moms car I need the Land Cruiser.

You need it today?

Yes!

Uh, OK I'll get it.

What do you mean you'll get it?

Well I kinda didn't bring it home.

What does kinda didn't mean?

Its still at the river.

And?

It's a little stuck.

A little stuck, like your going to be a little dead.

No! No! John says he can get it out with some rope.

Come on, get your shoes, your mothers keys and get in the car, now! What am I going to do with you boy? And I'm driving.

Mom...
MOM!

What?

Mom, wake up.

What?

Mom, you need to get up.

What time is it?

Six.

What? what time did you say?

Dads not home yet.

He gets home at eight.

It's after six mom you got to get up. You have to take me to the mall.

The mall?

Yes, the mall. I'm going to make you some coffee. You have to get up.

That coffee smells good. Now, what is it you want? Why did you
get me up at six am on Saturday?
Ugh, how did you make this? It’s like syrup!

Like you told me, four scoops to the pot of water.

That was the old scoop, you only need one with the new one. How did
you get four large scoops in the coffee pot?

I packed in down and it fit.

Pour this out and make some more.

Mom we have to go. You have to take me to the mall. Dads going to be home soon.

Don't worry he'll be home in a few minutes.

I know, we have to get back before he gets home.

OK calm down. I'm going to shower and I'll get my coffee after that...

This coffee is much better. You'll make a fine wife someday. Now what
are you in all a huff about.

Dads going to be home and we need to get to the mall.

Alright stop with the blonde moment and tell me what’s going on.

Dads going to be real mad.

Why, what did you do last night?

You know I picked up Ashley and Tiffany. We went to the mall then it closed.

Good Morning ladies. You guys are up early.

Hello honey. You're home early. How was work?

Fine. Why is the garage locked? I couldn't get my car in.

Hi daddy, I must have done that when I came home last night.

OK, go open it so I can pull the car in.

Mom and I will get it when we get back.

We are not going to the mall until they open.

What’s at the mall this early? It doesn’t open till ten.

I know. She's been pestering me all morning. Woke me up at six.

What’s going on baby what’s at the mall?

I just need to go, it wont take long.

Take long to do what? Why do you have to go to the mall this early?

We just went to the mall last night daddy.

And what happen at the mall. Does this have anything to do with the garage being locked? What’s wrong with the car, did you wreck it?

No I didn't wreck it! It's at the mall.

At the mall, why is the car at the mall?

It was late and me and the girls you know we were talking and walking
around the mall. You know just hanging out. It’s a big mall daddy. I called Jeff but he didn’t answer, then Billy came but he was late and the girls got mad, the cop said we had to leave. I didn’t know what to do so Billy brought us home.

Wait! Just wait. What happened to the car?

It’s in the parking lot. I couldn’t find it. We looked all over. It’s lost.
Don’t get mad?

Now that’s funny. No I'm not mad. But just tell me next time you do something like this. Come on we’ll go get the car.

>Um hey dad.
>Hey Autumn.
>So how is that coffee?
>Fine, so did you have a good time driving last night?
>Um, yeah, I have a funny story to tell you something.
>Oh yeah, what is it?
>OK so there was this little squirrel, and I thought it was hurt. So I stopped the car in the middle of the road, I mean not the middle, middle, I mean kind of in the road.
>What happened to my car!
>I haven’t even got to the funny part yet. OK so ran over to the squirrel and picked it up, and it turns out that it wasn’t hurt at all.
>OK, but what happened to my car?!
>I haven’t even told you the whole story yet. OK so I went to turn around and put the squirrel down and a rather large garbage truck that was backing up must of not seen your car and kind ran it over.
>My car!
>Oh yeah dad I’m fine.
>I know you are fine, but my car isn’t!!
>This is why I hate squirrels.

Dad – Good Morning Son
Son- Very Good Morning dear Dad
Dad- At what time you came home in night
Son- Dad!! In morning 5 o’ clock
Dad- What??? R u crazy (seeing out) where is Car !!??
Son- Calm down please, thank God I m safe and back.
Son- In night I was freaking with my friends, slowly driving and enjoying the weather. In the outskirts of the city I saw a old lady sitting near the bus stop waiting for the bus. We passed by their, suddenly I thought that may be no bus had to come than how old lady is going to manage. We returned back, asked her about her home and offered drive to home in the country side. Lady was glad and blessed us for the genuine help. We drove to her home smoothly, parked our car and helped her to enter her premises. While the weather turns stormy, she asked us to wait for a while to settle the weather. In mean time weather becomes more stormy. And than we heard the big sound and the scene was horrifying, One big tress fall on our car. Thank God we all were safe. God returned our favour to old lady so soon. Finally we came back by bus in morning. Today I learnt a lot.
Dad- Is that true, should I confirm with the old lady, are you going to take me to her.
Son- Very sure Dad.
Dad- I am proud of you my son. Thanks to God and Insurance company to continue our beliefs.