Kids Say

“I’ll be right back,” said Martha, excusing herself from her guests to get more cheese and crackers. Martha and her young son, Steven, were entertaining their new next-door neighbors.

“Wanna hear a funny joke?” asked Steven in his most adorable voice. Steven was only five. “Mommy likes to say it and she laughs lots!”

“Sure, kiddo,” said Jake, one of the neighbors.

“Mommy says my daddy’s in the basement!” he said, smiling.

“What?” asked Sammie, Jake’s wife. They both looked at each other, confused and afraid.

“No,” Steven said. “You’re opposed to say ‘can I go see him?’”

“C-can I go see him?” Jake asked nervously.

“No! That’s not daddy. Daddy’s in the back yard!” Saying this, Steven laughed as he’d see his mother laugh telling him that.

Jake and Sammie laughed nervously.

“I hear some laughter,” Martha said. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing. Steven just told us a funny story,” answered Jake.

“Oh, well, you know what they say. Kids can say the darnedest things. More cheese?” Martha asked, practically begging them to stay.

I’m afraid we have to go now, though. Look at the time! So sorry to eat and run,” said Jake and Sammie as they scrambled to leave.

Martha frowned at Steven as her guests left. He looked up at her and clapped. “I guess they’ll be joining our old neighbors in the basement. And I was so hoping to keep them. They seemed so nice,” she said with a sigh.