Teen Voices

The Boy is 15. Most of his friends are also 15. He is a young 15-year-old. His friends are also young. This is the highest compliment I can pay a teenager, saying they are young. The Boy and his friends are highly intelligent, responsible, independent, good natured and good humoured, comfortable with themselves, and coddled enough that they delight in being young and carefree. They have no fear about growing up, they enjoy being their age and living in the present, without pressuring each other to grow up too fast, they indulge in fairly innocent pursuits. It is my great delight and privilege to spend time with them, which they don't mind either, sitting around, talking and laughing with a mom or two.

Except when The Boy gets phone calls. Because they are confident teenagers in that in-between stage, most of them have articulate, steady voices, but still voices on the high side, and ever so polite. Some of them sound like women. People often say The Boy sounds like me.

This morning, someone phoned. The Boy was still asleep, so I picked up the call. A voice at the other end asked for The Boy. Because The Boy is involved in several school activities, I really thought it was one of The Boy's teachers calling. I said,

"The Boy isn't available right now. Is there something I can help you with?"

"No thank you. I would like to speak to The Boy himself."

"Can I let him know who's calling then?"

"Sure, it's Friend. I want to see if we can get together for Warhammer today."

I paused. In a split second, my mind went, What the? Why does this woman want to play Warhammer with my boy. Oh, right, it's Boy's Friend, not strange lady. I've met this Friend before, I just have never spoken to him on the phone.

I resumed my poise (I usually have one) and said, "Okay, I'll let him know you phoned. Thanks for calling."

That was weird.