Imminent

Lucy is sitting in the back of the car as we are negotiating traffic. "Daddy, I feel sick."

"Sick?" I repeat, thinking that this could be messy.

"I have to throw up."

It frustrates her that this makes me giggle.

A childhood scene has come rushing back to me.

Dad is in the entrance between the family room and the kitchen. Brothers are running around the family room. Probably fighting. Probably the TV is blaring. Richard or Kevin complains to Dad, "I'm going to throw up." Dad calmly asks, "Is it imminent?" At this age, I don't know what `imminent' means, so neither does Richard or Kevin. But Mom laughs. And I wonder what can be so funny about Richard having to throw-up.

I manage to pull over into a park so Lucy can take a breath.