Standing with a gentle, reassuring smile, bedside grandpa voice Paul intercepts me in the backyard:
Paul: Hi. You know, I would like to figure out the scientific apparatus they’ve implanted in your mind. It’s very interesting. Unique.
Me: Oh… Which one would that be?
Paul: (moving in/ whispering with grandma secret revealing posture) If I tell you, you won’t believe me.
Me: Um, either way, you should tell me.
Paul: Hmm…okay. The feds. The police. They put an interesting one in your head and to tell you the truth, I want to study it.
Me: What part of my head is it in?
Paul: (looking at my brain pensively) Right to the left there. Yup. And you know what, they’ve put several different types of apparatus’ on me too. Normally they put it in my knees though.
Me: Why would they do that? I mean whats in it for them?
Paul: So they know where I am all the time, I guess.
Me: But why the knees for you? Why just the knees?
Paul: I knew you wouldn’t believe me.
Me: No, I’m just wondering why just the knees for you. Have you asked them why they do knees for you and brains for me?
Paul: I have. Several times actually. They keep shrugging and saying, “It’s just the way it is. It’s what we do. It’s just what we do” (holding 3rd grade style shrug and exagerrating pose for an extra 5 seconds)
Me: That’s it? They won’t tell you anything else.
Paul: That’s it. It’s just what they do….But like I said, I’m interested in the complex apparatus they implanted in you. That’s a real good one (chuckling).
