Timing

“Did he go in yet?”

“No, he keeps walking around but so far hasn’t gone in.”

“Good. I want to watch what happens when he goes in and sees the bike we bought him! I just need to get this done first,” Mom said, “I’m so excited!”

“Well hurry up. Why do you have to do that right now? He could go in any minute, you could clean up the dishes anytime.”

“I’m not really worried. I suspect it will take him about fifteen more minutes before he goes in.” She turned back to her work.

Giving her a confused look Dad said, “That’s weird. You’re going to miss the big surprise if you don’t get over here. He’s about to walk by the garage door again right now. I can tell by his look that he’s really curious. You’re going to miss it!” he turned back to the window. Then, “Never mind, he didn’t go in again...”

Mom finished up her work and then came over. “So, how many times has he walked by the door already?”

“About four, and yet he never goes in... why? Wait, here he comes again!” As they watched, Sam went to the door and slowly turned the handle and then he slipped in. They could hear him yelling for joy even through the window, so they rushed out.

After the big surprise was over and Sam was tooling around the block on his new bike, Dad asked, “How did you know it was going to take him that long to go in the garage? Are you psychic or something?”

“No, just a mother of a boy, I knew the magic words.”

“Magic words? What magic words?”

“I just went out when he was near the garage door and said, ‘Don’t go in there.”’