Dating Tom Sawyer

“Let’s go and wash the car” Erato said, with fake enthusiasm.

So we did. We got in and went to the edge of town to a car wash, where hoses were installed every three meters, and buckets and brushes provided by the company. Erato started by hosing the car off, meanwhile I watched from a relative distance.

“Do you want me to help?” I asked.

“Nah, you wouldn’t be able to do a good job, so just keep me company and I’ll wash the car.”

I shrugged and continued conversing with her. After a while I asked again, for hosing the car off every two minutes with high pressured water seemed like fun. She didn’t let me again. The next time she wanted to use the water, I used the phrase “can I please”. Before I knew it I was happily doing what she was told by her mother to do.

Only once I had the vacuum cleaner’s hose in my hands did I realize that she Tom Sawyered me. She made me think of her chore as a privileged way of spending one’s afternoon.

Well played Erato. Well played.