A Worm

Finding what it takes to make my daughter, Imani, the happiest she could be, has been priority number one since she was born. I’ve made many accommodations to assure she becomes spoiled rotten, but despite that, it feels like all this fluff I’ve built up around her just doesn’t compare to visiting ordinary places.

For instance, the dentist. Believe me when I say I was surprised to see her face light up with excitement hearing our quarterly visit had come around. Even after almost twenty-five years, I can’t get used to having my teeth picked at, but she takes it like a champ, even showing off her cheeky smile at the end.

That smile has become everything to me. To take her to these mundane places and see that face, washes away all the care I had for the money I dumped into theme park tickets and expensive toys. Having now embraced her passion for the regular, not only do I save some well-needed cash to make up for those past investments, I also get to bring my daughter anywhere without worrying that she’ll get bored.

Today's place of choice is a popular fast food restaurant. No, not for food, just to play with the other kids in the play area. Of all the places, this choice is what I’d expect a kid to want, nothing beats the colorful tube maze and slide of an indoor playground. Imani begged for me to bring her there the very moment I picked her up from preschool.

“Are we there yet?” She pestered me from her car seat.

“Not yet.”

“Where is it?”

“Just a little ways to go.”

“Now?”

“Give it just a bit longer.”

“Awh…” Imani became glum. “Are you really taking me there papa?”

“Yes, actually, look out your window now. Can you see it?”

The large neon sign came into view and Imani’s eyes widened with glee.

“I love you!” She screamed at me as we came to a stop.

I might lose my hearing someday, but those words were all I needed to cure my withered soul from a long day’s work.

“Let’s go.” I lifted Imani from her seat and placed her on the ground.

She giggled and took my hand, skipping alongside me. “I hope everyone’s here. I’d like to play a big game of tag!”

“Everyone, from school?”

“Yea!”

“Everyone, as in friends? 

“Yes.”

“How many friends?”

“All of them.”

“Huh.”

Afraid she might be disappointed to see not everyone would be there, I prepared a quick talk to cushion the blow if the possibility arrived. 

“Remember this Imani, some parents might be very busy and can’t bring their kids to places like this.”

“They’ll be there.” She confidently answered back.

“Why’s that?”

“We promised.”

“Promised?”

“Like this!” She held out her pinky and shook it up and down.

“A pinky promise?”

“Yes, and if they break it, they’ll have to eat a worm!”

“Don’t make them eat worms, you’ll get in big trouble!”

“Aw, but breaking a pinky promise is the biggest bad!” She puffed with annoyance.

“So is making them eat worms.”

“Then what do I do?”

“Forgive them.”

Imani stared back at me with a puzzled expression. “Fogif?”

“Forgive, don’t be angry at them for breaking the promise, and don’t punish them with eating worms. Where did you even learn that anyways?”

“coz they taste gross!”

“What, did you eat a worm Imani!?”

“No…”

“Lying is punishable by eating worms!”

“Really!?”

“No, but don’t lie to me, and don’t put things from the ground in your mouth.”

“Okay…”

We entered the building and Imani started greeting people very loudly, she was an outgoing child and this had become normal anywhere we went. Almost everyone, including staff, knew her name and returned greetings of similar energy, making me feel very proud, like a parent to their superstar child.

I'm ashamed to admit my own social capabilities are far below that of my daughter’s, so I try not to get involved. But sometimes she takes the wheel a little too far and I end up with awkward situations.

“Hello Mrs. Lily! Papa said I shouldn’t make people eat worms, is this true?”

“Imani!” I hissed.

Mrs. Lily, an older lady who works at the local bank, chuckled at Imani’s strange question. “Hello sweetheart, and yes, you should listen to your father.”

“I know!” Imani nodded her head.

“Then why did you ask her that?”

“I don’t know!” She shrugged.

I hid my face with my hand in dismay, but underneath I couldn't help but smile at how silly she was being. Maybe this is why she became so popular.

Done with feeling like actors down the red-carpet, we entered the play area. To my surprise and relief, the place was bustling with kids from her preschool who were excited to see her.

“Nobody has to eat worms!” Imani raised her fist in celebration, and the children too cheered back.

“Enough with the worms.” I sighed, bringing Imani over to the bench beside a shoe rack to sit her down.

“Do you remember the rules?” I untie Imani’s shoes and slip them off.

Her eyes looked down at her socks as she swung her feet back and forth, distracted by their paw pattern design. “Uh…”

She struggled to remember, so to jog her memory, I slowly pronounced the beginning of the rules.

“Be car-“

“Careful!”

“And m-“

“Mindful of others!

“And if anything bad happens…”

“Tell Papa!”

“Good, I’ll be right over there if you need me.” I pointed to a bench and patted her on the head, ready to let her go, but she surprised me with another silly move.

“I promise to be good!” She raised her pinky with a smile so pure it nearly melted me away.

“Alright.” We locked pinkies and shook on the promise. “Now go have fun.”

Imani darted off to the other kids and started organizing a game of tag amongst them. With her occupied, all I needed to do was sit and watch.

Imani was having lots of fun, and so was I, watching her fool the other kids and stay away from being tagged was like a sport. All this made me want to take a picture, so I took my phone and lined up a shot

Imani, who constantly searched for where I was, noticed that I had my camera pointing towards her, so she escaped the chaos by taking a tube slide down to me. Her giggles echoed through the slide before she emerged from the end.

“Save trees!” She smiled, holding up two peace signs.

It was an interesting misinterpretation of say cheese, and she got the role backwards, but I respect the effort. I pressed down the button to take a picture, but never could I imagine what would actually appear.

A lady around my age walked into view, stopping in place to call out for her child. “Sammy, tu comida!”

When the picture was taken, the lady’s rear end was in full view, blocking Imani. Anyone, as long as they’re not a pervert, would politely delete the picture and move on to take another, but I made a big mistake. I forgot to turn off the flash.

“Oh my!” She stepped aside and turned around. “Was I in the way of something?”

I averted my eyes, but only made myself seem more suspicious.

“No… I mean, yes! No-sorry, what?” I stumbled with my words.

Usually I take my time with responses, but being so flustered I just couldn’t string together a proper sentence, resulting in an even deeper grave of embarrassment.

“Hm?” She stepped closer to me. “Are you okay?”

I warily began to face her.

“I’m sorry, I di- wha?” I was at a loss for words at the sight of her, and not just because she was beautiful.

She was dressed in a very strange outfit, something you’d see from one of those Japanese cartoons, the most noticeable feature being the large goat horns and goat eye colored contacts. I couldn’t help but stare at her, trying to put together what exactly she was wearing and why.

“Sir?” She waved her hand in front of me.

“Huh?” I snapped out of my trance. 

"Ay, que tierno eres." She tittered.