They stand, the one born in 2000 and the one born in 2001, side by side at the kitchen counter chopping up peppers for the freezer. This is new for these young hands and the work goes slowly. To pass the time they discuss their favorite subject, science. Tonight extinct birds are on the menu.
"Mom, did you know that there used to be such a thing as dodo bird?"
"Yes, but now they are extinct."
"Yeah and there is a kind of pigeon that is extinct too."
"You're thinking of passenger pigeons."
"Yeah, passenger pigeons. The last one was shot by a fourteen year old boy and now it is in a museum." Claire slices methodically.
"Oh, I didn't know that." I say while corraling chopped bits of pepper in plastic wrap.
"Yup. A kid the same age as John killed it. I wonder if he went to jail?"
Faith wields her knife like a sword. I try not to look. "The last pigeon died a long time ago. A long, long time ago. Like in the Nineteen Hundreds or something."
At that moment I felt old. And so did John.
"Mom, did you know that there used to be such a thing as dodo bird?"
"Yes, but now they are extinct."
"Yeah and there is a kind of pigeon that is extinct too."
"You're thinking of passenger pigeons."
"Yeah, passenger pigeons. The last one was shot by a fourteen year old boy and now it is in a museum." Claire slices methodically.
"Oh, I didn't know that." I say while corraling chopped bits of pepper in plastic wrap.
"Yup. A kid the same age as John killed it. I wonder if he went to jail?"
Faith wields her knife like a sword. I try not to look. "The last pigeon died a long time ago. A long, long time ago. Like in the Nineteen Hundreds or something."
At that moment I felt old. And so did John.
Comments
Ahhhh, the good ol' days!
Actually, I couldn't get over the fact that you let your children use knives. Not because they are not old enough or not careful enough, just because I am such a worrier that I would be a nervous wreck at the sight of Nathan cutting up vegetables!
Xandra
Much love,
Angela