David was out of town the first time he really freaked me out. We had just moved in together after dating about 8 months and while I knew him pretty well, I didn’t know anything about his most intriguing trait. He doesn’t like to talk about it. Even now, he’s wary of me to writing about it. He says if I do, it might go away. But it never does. And we’ve talked about it a lot over the years because he keeps doing it. And now, it appears, my 3 year old does it too.
All I wanted to do when I pulled into our drive way that night nearly a decade ago was eat dinner and go to bed. It had been a long day at work and with David out of town, I wanted it to be over. But when I grabbed my purse and shut the door of my Ford, Explorer, I just stopped and stared. I immediately jumped back in my SUV, locked the doors, and with my heart racing, I dialed David.
I told him something really strange was happening in the house and before I said another word he interrupted, “Every light in the house is on.”
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. How could he know? He had been out of town two days. I’m the one who turned off the lights and locked the house that morning. Not to mention I never turn on every light in the house.
“How do you know that,” I stammered.
“I just know things,” he said simply.
Since that day, I have heard that phrase more times than I can count. David just knows things. And I’m not sure how he knows them. He just does.
He knows what strangers at the table next to us at are going to order before they do. He knows the exact score of a football, baseball, or basketball game before they’re played. He knows exactly how many pieces of candy are in a bag of m&ms.
David just knows things.
I agree, it sounds odd. It is odd. I wouldn’t believe it myself, if I didn’t witness David doing it day and in and day out over and over and over again through the years.
What’s even more odd: Reichen now knows things, too.
Reichen is passionate about music. When we’re in the car, he begs me to turn on the radio and from my rear view mirror I see my son dancing and singing to the songs. He wants to know the name of every tune and he wants to know who sings it.
I never thought much of it, until the boys and I were driving to get my daily dose of diet vanilla coke a few days ago, that’s when Reichen spouted off One Republic would be the band to play the next song.
“We’ll see,” I said.
My eyes bugged when the band’s latest hit began to blare through my minivan speakers. Reichen jammed a bit before making his next prediction.
“Momma, Fireflies is next,” he smiled.
“All right, Doodle Bug. Let’s listen for it,” I replied.
Good thing we were stopped at Sonic waiting for the drink I ordered, because I was stunned when the top 40 song started playing.
Since that day, Reichen has made other mind boggling predictions, ones impossible for him to predict.
Ever since Reichen was born, he has been the spitting image of his father. And it’s not just me who says it. Complete strangers stop me on the street, at airports, and restaurants and confirm it. But it appears he’s inherited more than his father’s looks.
Reichen, just like his dad, now just knows things, too.
