(Blog article)

As a child, I was very curious and inquisitive, and dad often connected me to some household chores, bribing me with the phrases: “if you want, I will show…?” or “have you ever seen how…?” etc.

For example, from what I remember – you need to clean the yard, he comes up and asks: “Have you ever seen the water evaporate in the sun? No? Well, let’s go show it!”

We go out, dad zigzags the hose in the yard and says that you need to wait only a few minutes and everything will dry.

“Come on,” he suggests, “while we wait, will you notice? You’ll take a mark on the right, and I’ll take the left side, and at the same time see who will get a cleaner one.”

I am fond of sweeping, trying not to miss a single speck, no worse than my dad’s, and when he finishes, he says, “Now, you see, the water has evaporated”. I look around the really dry yard and at the level of magic; I perceive the absence of signs of watering. Blimey!

Or dad comes up to my sister and me and asks, “Have you seen mom brushing mushrooms with toothbrushes?” A couple of moments and phrases, such as, “Well, let’s see, but you can do the same?” And now we are standing in front of a huge mountain on the table and the three of us are cleaning mushrooms – each in its own basin with water.

Or: “do you want to show what kind of weeds have long roots?” And then, “oh, look what, ah!” A little later, “let’s do this – I rip it out, and you put them together there”, and again, “Oh! And this one, what color is unusual!” But I’m curious, I’m having fun, but I don’t even notice that I’m busy with household chores.

Already being an adult, I admitted that I had figured out this tricky move as early as 10 years old girl. I laughed and remembered. How many years have passed, and dad and a 20-year-old sometimes said to me with a smile: “Have you ever seen my daughter running to the store for dad’s kvass, so fast, fast?” I answered, “I saw, now I’ll show you!” I rushed to the store, with pleasure and nostalgia for childhood…