Dad . . . what are you doing?

Yeah, Dad . . what are you doing?

he looked up and his daughters stood to one side of his easy chair to the side where he kept a stack of books he was reading reading one for a while then setting it down to open another book and so on 

                                                                                         he likened his reading habit to that of someone watching television and bored by a commercial jumping to another channel with the aid of a remote  he thought at the very least they ought to physically get up and change the channel on the TV set

the grrls – as he called them – rocked on their feet heel to toe toe to heel feeling supreme

Im reading

in chorus Whatare you reading?

A book

What book?

A big book

Dad . . you’re reading the dictionary.

I am

that tickled them they laughed asif they heard the funniest joke ever told it was so funny it brought tears to their eyes and they nearly had to hold the other up from falling down

 

                                                                   Man, you crack us up, Dad; you’re so funny.

before he could reply – not that he had a reply he liked to read the dictionary -- they left himwalked into the kitchen for a snack to return to their room where they were doing their homework

as they entered the hall together after rummaging around for foodstuff they said You’re hilarious! Nobody’s father except our father reads the dictionary. 

                                        their voices trailed off into murmurs as they noshed talked discussed homework vented frustration if momentarily stymied which was rare for either

he wouldnt see them again until dinner when he made itwhat time was it it didnt feel like time he knew what he was making and its prep time cooking time  he had another fifteentwenty minutes

he didnt notice what time he put food into the oven he gauged it by smellby how it looked hed been cooking since he was a boy

now . . not to get caught up in jumping from word to wordbecome mesmerised  when he thought about it he imagined he might have made a fine haruspex  or also an aruspex 

                                                            he found them only today who knewright a Roman priest who practised divination by the inspection of the entrails of animals 

he preferred haruspex

1742,  Sunday,  2  2. 92

2351,  Reggae Friday – Cin’s birthday,  19  3. 21