"Cynth, can Cristina stay in the room with you?"

"Uh huh..." I nodded. Of course she could.

So five year old Cristina climbed into my lap.

My plan was to chat on the computer, hold Cristina, and keep her entertained all at once. Once on my lap, she stared at the screen in front of us where a big blue dolphin stared happily back. (A background picture my brother had just applied.) She watched as my fingers furiously typed away on the keyboard and little letters marched across the screen in a white, rectangular box near the dolphin’s head.

- Cristina: “What are you doing? (craning her neck to speak to my face inches away from hers)

- Cynthia: “Uh huh….” (looking around her head trying to see the screen)

(Type.. type… type)

- Cristina: “What are you doing?”

– Cynthia: “Umm…. I’m….. I’m,  uhh… (type, type, type…) I’m talking to someone.”

- Cristina: “Who?”

- Cynthia: “Hmm….? Oh… a.. friend.”

 - Cristina: “Hi!” (Smiling and waving at the computer)

- Cynthia: “She can’t see you.”

- Cristina: “Why not?”

- Cynthia: “Um… because she lives very far away…”

-- Cristina: “Where does she live?”

- Cynthia: “In the United States.”

- Cristina: “Oh.” Her eyes open big and she repeats the far off name to herself.

- Cristina: “How are you talking to her?”

- Cynthia: (How in the world am I going to explain this one?) “I’m writing her little letters and they go in here, (I tap the screen) Then she writes letters to me and they come out of it to me (I tap the screen again).”

- Cristina: “Wow. Tell her that I’m five.”

- Cynthia: “Ok…” (type type…a few minutes go by.)

- Cristina:  “What is she saying?”

- Cynthia: “She said that her cousin is in the war.” (type, type… type)

- Cristina: “What did you tell her now?”

- Cynthia:  “I said that I would probably visit her soon.”

- Cristina: “Will you swim there?”

- Cynthia: (I smiled… What in the world?) No.. I won’t swim there…

- Cristina: “Will she swim to you?”

- Cynthia: “No…”

- Cristina: “Will she come on your lap?” (I smiled, imagining 15 yr. old Heather climbing onto my lap)

- Cynthia: “No, she’s big…”

- Cristina: “Ask her if it’s cold there.”

- Cynthia: “Hmm…. Ok…. (type type....) “She said it’s kind of cold.” 

- Cristina: (giggles) “Is it night or afternoon there?”

- Cynthia: “Night.”

- Cristina: “No it’s not. (she studied the screen)  It look’s like it’s afternoon there.”

I typed away for a few seconds then my hands stopped in mid air as I suddenly realized what was going on. I followed Cristina’s gaze to the computer screen and it all made sense. I tried to undo the unintentional damage I had done and explain to Cristina who Heather Momany really was.

I mistakenly thought now she understood.

I typed a few more sentences and closed off. Before leaving to my bedroom to listen to a story Cristina leaned forward and rubbed the computer screen affectionately, “You are sooooo cute!” And she waved goodbye.

And I realized that no matter what I said Cristina was convinced we’d been having a conversation with the dolphin!