"Can I have an ice cream please?"

As a father who lives four hours away rail travel from his three year old daughter, I frequently miss out on the incremental changes in her development. It’s as if when I visit her, I’ve missed another segment of her life. It’s not a major issue, until something unforeseen happens and I get dizzy as she runs rings round me.

Arianna lives in Wales with her mother, and one day as I sat in the lounge watching TV, I noticed a smug grin on the face of my ex-partner, that seemed suspiciously synchronized with the sound of the chimes emanating from an ice cream van. Suddenly the chimes were replaced by the sound of marching feet, increasing in volume, rumbling up the garden path.

Arianna launched herself towards me, as I sat relaxed on the sofa. Brandishing her award winning and money siphoning smile, she asked “Daddy, can I have an ice cream please”?

“Ooh, I don’t know darling?” I replied.

“Come on daddy, you’ve got loads of money?”

Armed with my weeping wallet, Arianna and I walked to the ice cream van. Despite the long queue, nobody seemed to be getting served. Apparently the ice cream machine wasn’t working.

Suddenly I was transported back to my childhood, remembering the lies I was told that when you hear chimes from an ice cream van, that means there’s no more ice cream.

“Arianna, the machine isn’t working. I’m afraid there’s no more ice cream.”

“You’re a fibber daddy.”

Charming isn’t it? Even when I tell the truth she doesn’t believe me.

#kiddiekorner