the Rossettis. but different.

my father appears, he has been trying, unsuccessfully to take up a floorboard (Never Ask Why). my mother helpfully suggests unscrewing it. 'Alison is here.' And Visible. 'We are going to execute a Mercy Dash to the High School, to deliver Cookery ingredients.' 'I had unaccountably failed to realise that Friday would be following Thursday. Until it arrived.''Are you going in my car? I've taken the screws out. It's very odd.' 'Do you want anything?' 'Nothing that you can fetch.' (? Wildebeest? Vikings? his car does have the bigger boot.) 'This is like the argument you had over Sunday Dinner, while you were debating the nature of God.' 'is it?' (Mother) 'did we? what was it about?' (starting to giggle) 'dad was trying to explain to you what exactly a Parsec is.' 'was i?' 'yes, you must remember. you went to Google it, so as to try and explain more clearly. you said '(giggling more) 'the sec stands for second. and she..' 'well, i could guess that part.' (barely able to speak) 'yes, and then you started ...' no hang on i remember, it's the angle in a triangle of light, or...''no, no, no, let me just get a piece of paper.' 'don't dad, don't do the diagram again, you are making me cry, stop.' 'it's simpler if i just draw it.' 'you notice that i don't weigh in with my superior knowledge of history and literature and its structure and critique.' 'yes, mum, and don't, or this would be endless.' 'are we like the Rossettis, do you think, writing poetry and creating art around the kitchen table?' 'yes, mum.' (helpless with laughter, so that they are now laughing too) 'you are just like them, but different. you have ruined my eyeliner. Can i keep the diagram?'