Why you should listen to your mother, Part 17

So, it's JP's birthday and  they're all off to Spookers, House of Horror extraordinaire (I am told). You have to be 16 to get in, as the voucher informs me when I book his ticket. It also informs me that you are expected to wear sensible footwear. Now, getting Michael to wear shoes at all is a mission, but he will wear his Rockies sandals if forced. Sensible footwear sounds to me more like it involves socks. With some trouble I persuade him to include a bag involving socks and shoes among the other essentials for a night out (horrid plastic and steel models, dices of many sides, codex, laptop, oh and maybe a toothbrush). I also ask him to check that he has his student ID with his DOB on it.

It goes like this :

"Mum, it's in my wallet!"
"Have you checked that?"
"Mum, we're going to be late!"

Come 7.30, we the not-Spookers are sitting down to supper. Shani's birthday present rings. (Samsung Smartphone). It's a stealth call from her brother.

"Can you go find my passport?"

After a few Bzuh? moments, she establishes that he needs a photo of the page which proves his age, because, no surprises, the student ID is not in his wallet. So the plan is, Shani photographs this page with her birthday present and sends it to PK's phone (PK has the same phone) and PK displays this to the vigilant gentleman guarding the entrance. None of which is to be noticed by the parent who is so going to say "I TOLD you so!"  the next day.  Yes, he's clever, but not smart. Followers of this blog will also understand why sending the photograph to Michael's phone is not a practical possibility.

The lasting problem for Michael, though, is that his passport has expired. A lot. The photo in it is the one taken just before we left England; a tremendously cute 7 year old beaming chubbily at the camera. Which is now on PK's phone.  And if anyone thinks that's where it's going to stay, you haven't been in close contact with a bunch of 16 year old schoolboys recently.

I foresee a lot of cheek-pinching in Michaels' future.

Also note the footwear. Apparently Spookers agrees with me on the sensible footwear front.

l-r Molly, Will, JP, Peculiar Person, PK, Michael.