Children Should Be Not Seen And Not Heard

(It’s about 9:30 pm, and I’m coming home from a meeting with the youth club where I volunteer. I’ve just come inside when my mom comes up the stairs from the basement. She freezes when she sees me, looking like a deer in headlights. Note: my mom is easily fatigued because of health reasons, and always takes at least one nap a day.)

Me: *jokingly* “You didn’t have to lock me out.”

Mom: “You’ve been out?”

Me: *now puzzled* “Yes, I was at [Youth Club].”

Mom: “Oh, you must’ve left while I was sleeping. I could’ve sworn you’ve been in your room all night.”

Me: “I’ve been gone for four hours!”

(My bedroom door is almost always left open, as my parents keep poking their heads in about every fifteen minutes, anyway. Except for when I’m gone without their knowledge, apparently.)