jml297

‘You used to be cool!’

Jamie knew that the words were said in jest, but it was a struggle to rustle up a smile, let alone a witty reply. The truth was that he had never been cool, and at this point in his life, it was unlikely that he ever would be any different.

He looked over at his teenage son, whose attention had been drawn back into whatever the current app obsession was on his phone. Jamie knew that his kids were only teasing when they said things like that, and ordinarily it didn’t even register. But occasionally, one of those good-humoured jibes hits the mark.

Jamie’s mother used to say that he’d been born with an old head. As a child, this had made him wonder why his head would be any older than the rest of his body. It was only years later that he realised that this tendency to be so literal about everything was one of the reasons why he would, in fact, never be cool. His mind simply wasn’t wired that way. Over the years, he’d learned to absorb social cues and curbed his natural tendency to correct people on their assumptions. It had been a major shift when he recognised that his world view may not be quite the same as everyone else’s, and what was logical to him was not always obvious to others.

Taylor, his youngest child, was cheekier than he could ever have been. And for that, Jamie was grateful. Taylor had all the confidence that came with being brought up in a loving and supportive family. Even though there were times when Jamie was pulled up short by his son’s certainty and outlook on life, he knew that preparing his children for adulthood with a strong sense of self would help them to overcome the inevitable obstacles that would come their way.

‘Hey Dad?’

‘Yes mate.’

’Were things really that different when you were growing up?’

Jamie cast a glance over at Taylor, trying to gauge if this was a serious question, or just an opening for more teasing. But Taylor had dropped the phone onto his lap, and had turned towards Jamie with a serious expression on his face.

‘Things change all the time, Taylor. But there are some aspects which are similar to what they are now.’

‘Did your parents let you go to parties?’

‘Of course they did. We lived in a neighbourhood where most people knew each other, and there was always someone having a birthday.’

‘What about parties, just because?’

‘Just because?’

‘For like, no reason. Just for fun?’

Jamie scratched at his chin. ‘There were probably some of those. It’s hard to remember.’

’Did you ever go wild at any of these parties?’

Jamie smiled sadly. ‘Not likely. Maybe in another life.’

The silence between them lengthened, then Taylor spoke up again. ‘Probably for the best,’ he smiled at Jamie. ‘Otherwise you wouldn’t be you.’

This piece was written to a prompt on the Writer’s Digest website. Maybe in Another Life: write a story that features the line “maybe in another life”.

Photo: circle of friends ornament