“First thing,” Suzy says sternly to Justin, who is leaning back on the railing, ready to be read the riot act.
“Yes, Mom.”
“We’re going to need toilet paper. We should never run out of toilet paper.”
“Good point,” he nods. He closes his eyes. “There’s a lot of toilet paper in their bathroom. Joy, when you get there, touch it.”
“Good!” Suzy says. “Now, does the girl ever wash her hands?”
“Of course!” Justin says.
“Where?” Suzy looks around the deck.
Justin also looks around. “Oh… Rarely.”
“I wash my hands at least once a day!” Joy chimes in.
Justin sighs.
“We’re going to change that, dearie,” Suzy tells her, then looks at Justin. “Aren’t we?”
“Yes, Mom,” his voice is resigned.
“Does she brush her teeth!”
“Every day!” Joy shouts again. It looks like she’s feeling she’s protecting her father. “Want to see?”
She runs into her cabin and immediately comes out holding her toothbrush and toothpaste. “I brush my teeth right over there on the plank.”
“On the plank?”
“I go into the water and…”
“The water?!” Suzy can’t believe it. “You’re going to start brushing your teeth in our bathroom with our sink, dearie.”
Joy looks at Justin. “Dad?”
Justin nods, his lips tight in embarrassment. “That’s right.”
“Show me your toothbrush, dearie.”
Joy shows her the toothbrush and the toothpaste.
Suzy looks at the toothbrush and can hardly contain her dismay. I’m sure Justin recognizes it just as I do. The toothbrush looks so worn out that she’s probably had the same one for years and never replaced it.
“You’re getting a new toothbrush, Joy,” Justin says slowly. He opens his hand and a new toothbrush and toothpaste appear in it.
“An electric toothbrush,” Suzy says.
The toothbrush in his hand disappears, replaced by an electric one. “Touch these, Joy.”
Joy takes them. They glow for a split second and the glow disappears.
“And throw your old ones to the ocean.”
Joy does as she’s told. From what I’ve seen of her, she never does what she’s told so many times repeatedly. But I think this situation of someone telling her father what to do and him doing it is new to her and she doesn’t understand it yet.
“Now, Justin, let’s talk showers.”
Justin hangs his head and sighs.
—Told by Grampa Walt