The following is an actual translation of a conversation I had with Lucy and Sam the other day.
Scene: Lucy and Sam are sitting in their high chairs finishing lunch.
Amy walks in through the front door.
Lucy: Mommy came home.
Amy: Yes, of course I did!
Sam: Mommy at work.
Amy: Yes, I was.
Lucy: Why?
Amy: Because I need to make money.
Sam: Why?
Amy: Because we need to pay our mortgage.
Sam: Why?
Amy: Because we have to pay back our loan to the bank.
Lucy: Why?
Amy: Because we had to get a loan to buy our house.
Sam: Why?
Amy: Because we didn’t have enough money to buy it. We had to borrow money from the bank.
Sam: Why?
Amy: Because houses are very expensive in Vancouver.
Lucy: Why?
Amy: Because lots of people want to live here.
Lucy: Why?
Amy: Because it’s beautiful and a great place to live.
Sam: Why?
Amy: Because we have mountains, the ocean and forests. And there’s a lot to do here.
Lucy: Why?
Amy: Because lots of people organize fun events for us to go to.
Lucy: Why?
Amy: Because they want to make Vancouver a fun place to live.
Sam: Why?
Amy: Because the more people who live here, the more taxes the city gets.
Lucy: Why?
Amy: Because you have to pay taxes to live here.
Sam: Why?
Amy: Because you have to pay for things that the city does for you, like garbage collection and street paving.
Lucy: Why?
Amy: Because no one else will do it for free.
Sam: Why?
Amy: (takes deep breath) Because that’s the way the world works.
Sam: Oh.
Lucy: Oh.
(Pause for dramatic effect.)
Sam: Where daddy?
Amy: He’s at work.
Lucy: Why?
(Repeat above scene.)
