My dad pops up on video Skype. Whenever he logs onto the computer, he checks email, then he checks to see if I’m online. If I’m online, he clicks and dials.
“Onscreen!” I mimick every time I answer the call. “Onscreen!” Click. And my dad’s video appears.
“Jennie.” He’s laughing. He’s usually laughing. “Jennie. Your mother got a great present today. We picked up the new stove from Sears.” And I think: “Yes. Nice to get a new stove. What’s so funny?”
He continues: “So I install it and we realize that it’s a Kenmore.” He’s still snickering. “I do most of the cooking anyway–and now she’s even got a stove: a Kenmore in the kitchen.”
And I laugh. My dad’s name is Ken.
My mum is standing behind him in the webcam view. She’s excited too–not only at the new stove and the fact that she’s got more Ken on a new Kenmore in the kitchen. She asks me: “What’s the highest thread count sheets you’ve ever had?” I know she must have got a great deal or she wouldn’t be so excited.
“Thread count?” I ponder. But I don’t tell them about my luxury items in my vacation rentals. “I don’t know Mum. What did you just get?”
“We just got 600 thread count sheets — FOR $79.99! (Canadian dollars). Did she count the GST? Probably not. BUT, she’s excited she got such a deal on such great sheets.
I snort. I know I shouldn’t snort, but I think I snorted. Dad asks: “What’s so funny Kid?”
“Well,” I tell my mum. “Looks like you got a Ken more in the bedroom too!”