Of Chocolate and Presidents

It’s Sunday - a leisurely day that stretches empty ahead of us, now the rush of German students and their teacher have departed for a three day exploration of the Cape. Our girls have abandoned us to have lunch with their aunt, so it is just three of us sitting down at the table to eat up the leftovers from last night’s braai: Grabouw boerewors and spicy chicken wings, with the wine-enriched juices to pour over cold new potatoes and salad leaves.

Sunday means sweets after lunch and our son left the table swiftly, to assemble his selection from the stash of goodies given to them recently. They each have a packet of Italian Baci, brought from Germany, that I have been eyeing furtively each time I open the fridge, but that I honorably resist, as there are only about four in each packet and I know they’ve counted them. I casually ask our son if he really likes them, as I know a hazelnut lurks in the centre of each one, and he hates nuts. Hoping to have them passed on to me, or at least be given a bite to remove the offending nut, I discover that he has invented a way round it.

“I like the chocolate bit,” he says blithely, oblivious to my designs, “so I suck the whole thing and then spit the nut in the bin.”

Foiled! Not even I would be interested in the nut after that!

At lunch we were amazed to find that our son could discourse knowledgeably about the American presidential candidates, knowing the names of all of the ones from the first round, as well as who is currently ahead in the polls. “Obama has 63%,” he says authoritatively.

Impressed, we enquire how he knows all this. Do we have a budding political genius like Jennifer Lopez’ son in Maid in Manhattan?

He dashes our fond hopes without more ado and reveals that he’s been playing a game online, called Commander in Chief, involving all the presidential candidates, where he has to shoot the bad guys to protect them. The name of each of the candidates is attached to their figure and he is on first name terms with Hilary.

“How do you know which are the bad guys?” I ask.

“They wear masks,” he replies.

Of course… I should have known.

Apparently he has also been paintballing with Hilary and Obama, though one time he played on McCain’s side, until his father pointed out the error of his ways…