"I Spy..."

A few months ago, we were all on a family car trip when my son Aidan, our middle schooler, announced,

"Let's play I Spy!"

"I want to play!" declared William, our five year old.

"Okay," I agreed.

My wife, Christine, was waking from a brief nap, but she absorbed the exchange and readied her senses.

Aidan began, "I spy something yellow."

"That yield sign," I offered.

"Yes, nice job Dad!" Aidan belted.

My turn.

"I spy something with a lot of tires," I provided.

"That big truck over there," Christine answered.

"No, that's not it," I exclaimed.

"That bridge we're coming up on," Aidan guessed.

"Yes!" I shouted.

"A bridge has a lot of tires?" Christine asked.

"On it," Aidan explained, "I spy something sharp."

"The curve in the road," Christine guessed.

"Good one, Mom, but no," Aidan said.

"The edge of the guard rail," I answered.

"Yes! Go Dad," Aidan responded.

"I spy something heavy," I suggested.

"How 'bout that truck now?" Christine questioned.

"No, not the truck," I said.

"That airplane," William offered.

"Yes, that's right!" I applauded.

"What plane? I don't see a airplane," Christine questioned.

"The one way up there," Aidan explained.

"There's no airplane up there," Christine declared.

"Yes, there is," William chimed, "I spy something green."

"The trees," Christine offered forcefully.

"No, good try Mommy," William responded.

"That guy's shirt in the car ahead of us," Aidan exclaimed.

"Yes!" William shouted.

"What?" Christine objected.

"I spy something long," Aidan offered.

"This trip, let me tell you," Christine lamented.

"The transmission on that truck," I answered.

"Yes! Another for Dad," Aidan shouted.

"I spy something..."

"The leaves on that tree," William said.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

"I spy..."

"The bird that was in that tree this morning, but isn't there now," Aidan said.

"Yes!" William shouted.

"Wait a minute. You didn't even finish. I'm not playing anymore," Christine retorted.

"I spy something blue," Aidan said.

No one offered a suggestion. There was a long pause as the miles ticked away. A blue mini van loomed just ahead of us. I pulled close.

"That mini van?" Christine asked cautiously.

The three boys exchanged looks of confusion. William mouthed the words, "blue mini van," then shook his head.

"The pen under the visor in that mini van ahead of us," I proudly announced.

"Yes! Dad got it again," Aidan responded.

"What! How can you tell there's a pen in that car?" Christine lamented.

"You know, Mommy, you can't win all the time," William lectured.

"All the time? How about just once!" Christine objected, "I quit."

"What kind of example is that?" Aidan asked.

"Yeah, Mommy. You have to keep playing," William ordered.

"Okay, I'll play only if you're gonna be fair," Christine explained.

"Life is not fair," William declared.

Christine looked to me with a smirk.

"He's right you know," I said then offered, "I spy something round."

A jeep with a spare tire pulled in front of us. There was a long pause as we skirted down the highway in full view of a tire looming in front of the windshield.

Christine finally asked, "That spare tire?

 

"No, no, not that," I said.

"What! You have to be..." Christine shouted.

"The earth!" William offered.

"Haley's Comet!" Aidan shouted.

"I'll tell you what I spy. I spy three boys cheating!" Christine declared.

The miles fell away in silence. After some time, Aidan said,

"Let's play Twenty Questions!"

Editor's Note: Originally posted on September 8, 2016.