Mama's Magic Eyes

When I was young, it didn't matter what I did wrong in our neighbourhood, my mom found out about it. Even the simplest little thing. I'd be greeted with "Kimberly, how many times have I told you not to ......". Whenever I asked how she knew, she told me she had magic eyes and could see me wherever I was.

One of the rules I grew up with was that we always came home after school and then we could go to a friend's house to play. One day, I decided to just go to my friend's house. I felt a twinge of guilt because this was a house I didn't normally go to and it was two whole blocks away from my house....but I comforted myself with the knowledge that my mom could just use her magic eyes and find me and know I was okay.

Please believe me. I was not being smart or sarcastic or "getting back" at my mom. I was too young and hadn't yet honed that particular skill set yet. No, I truly, truly believed that my mother would know where I was.

Of course, she didn't. And she was furious with me when I walked in the door for dinner. Furious until I said those words, "But mom, why didn' t you use your magic eyes?"

And so ended the illusion. Mom fessed up. It was the neighbours who had been spilling the beans on me all along. Damn, nosy neighbours!