A Rite of Passage

“Ok, littleb, are you ready?  We’ll do it together.  3…2…1…and go!”

We each pop a piece of gum into our mouth.  

We’d just been to CVS to pick up a few supplies, and littleb’s  attention was drawn to the gum, as it has been the last few times we’ve been to a store.  Usually, I steer him away from the gum, and towards the chocolate, his first true love, but today I call his bluff.  He surprises me by following through with the purchase.

Afterwards, in the car, we talk about the ritual of gum chewing.  Gum must never be swallowed, because it will stick to the sides of your intestines and stay there like spackle.  Where are the intestines?  What is spackle?  

I remind him that when he was five and I gave him gum, he swallowed it.  Immediately. Even after we had the conversation about not swallowing the gum.  But that was an accident.  An automatic  response to chewing something.  He is almost seven now.  It’s time for another go.  We both agree that this time, we will not swallow the gum.

Ok, littleb, are you ready?  We’ll do it together.  3..2…1…and go!

We each pop a piece of gum into our mouth.  

We smile at each other.  We are both chewing  and smiling. 

I turn toward the front and shift the car into drive.  I check the rear view mirror before pulling out, and there is littleb, waving his arms.  I put the car back in park, and hand him a piece of paper.  He spits his gum onto the paper.

“What’s the matter, littleb?  Didn’t you like the flavor?”

“I did.  It was good.  I was just done chewing it.”

“Oh.  Wasn’t there any flavor left?”

“There was still flavor.”

“Well, you know you can chew it until the flavor is gone, right?”

“Oh.  Can I have another piece?”

He pops in another piece and I put the car in gear.  We drive down the street, bobbing our heads to the song on the radio,  chewing our gum.  The September sun streams in.  We smile at each other in the rear view mirror. He turns to look out the window, smiling to himself.

I watch him, my handsome little boy, who is old enough to chew gum.   I am going to miss these days.  

Chicken out

Almost 7