Whisperings

I got it back—-my phone, that is.

 Joy!  

Sons’ mobile got whooshed in the washing machine. I load the machine and switch it on… yet technically it was not my fault as it was his responsibility to take it out of the pocket before putting the clothes in the basket. My job is to empty the basket into the machine , wash and dry them. So there!

The phone had a good wash and then into the dryer….. it was raining outside….  Soon as I swtiched on the dryer I heard bang, bang, bang and wondered “what on earth is that?”

Opened the dryer door and rummaged, looked for sons’ clothes…..  I instinctively knew, whatever it was, had to come from his pockets. If only you knew the things he stashes inside his pockets, you would understand.

Voila! A mobile phone. I didn’t say that word at that time. It was not voila moment. It was more like, damn! Phone looked squeaky clean and shiny with a good bath, alas dead.   

Anyway, I gave my phone to the son until we bought a new one for him.

Then began the tug-o-war. What should’ve been a couple of days without a phone (for me) dragged out endlessly.

His demand for a fancy phone with many features as possible and my insistence to look for a cheap one created the dragging match. I wanted him to look for something $100 or under. Obviously he went for $200 or over. No, I am not going to whoosh another $200 in the tub.  He didn’t whinge for a $400 -$500 one. Even he knew that would’ve been a bit of a stretch; otherwise believe you me he would have tried. 

So he sulked and carried on with my phone and I kept to my guns and carried on without one.

Smarty pants big sister, who constantly tries to stir the pot, said “mum why don’t you let him have yours and buy a new one for you?”  Genius! As if that would have worked. The whinging would have escalated and lasted until he got my new one. It would’ve been either that or for me to stick cottonwool in my ears. 

Finally, perhaps the tug game got a bit weary, he bought one for $129 with radio, mp3, camera, video and other usual features– games etc. Only $29 over but hey that was expected. A small compromise, ‘supposedly’, goes a long way. I start lower than my threshold, expecting him to build up, giving the impression he won the bargaining game. It makes him happy. What he doesn’t know is I expected him to go a bit higher. But that is my secret, Shhh…. I can still out-fox the kids.

He is stoked and I am glad to have my phone back.