Parents and children will never understand each other.

Why, you may ask?

One is still frantically, distressedly searching for its direction in this life. Its skill. Its finest ability.

While the other tends to have found it years ago.

One would think a mentorship system like this would be good. The older, wiser teaches the young and brash.

But the fateful flaw in us a people is that we tend to only listen to people who we believe embody us. Are like us.

In as many ways as possible. So the young would rather listen to their equally rash, soul-seeking peers, rather than the more fulfilled person(s) they live and breathe with.

Such was the case with Arifa.

"Hey, you should make the event's tent pink!" Lyla chirped.

'Wow, what an awesome idea!' Arifa realised, eyes wide, jaw dropping in her excitement.

And so, the mainly male PR crew of a professional, famous boxer had their celebration dinner in a pink tent next to a pink stone henge (covered in pink knit), with pink interior decor, pink cutlery, and pink teddies and unicorns dotted about.

Arifa sighed in happiness.

Daddy would be over the moon

---

"Uhhh, sir? You sure this is the place?" Mark asked, skeptically observing what looked like a three-year-old girls' birthday party setup.

They'd definitely taken a wrong turn, he thought as he sweat-dropped, anime style.

Tariq grinded his teeth glumly and nodded.

"Designed by your daughter, sir?" Steve piped up, pushing his glasses upwards.

Steve had even brought his son, Reeve, along. The 13-year old was a copy of his father, pushing up his glasses when the former did, talking when he did, coughing when he did. In fact, there wasn't much they didn't do at the same time.

Tariq, the mighty, found it just a little scary.

"Well..." He scratched the back of his head, and let out a nervous laugh. "You know how kids are these days! She is so creative."

Internally, Tariq winced. 'Shoot, I should never have let her keep her event design a secret! Now my team'll think I'm some sort of pink-loving sissy!'

What made things even more awkward was how Tariq had his own pink, larger than life throne in the centre of the room. It even had his name on it. In glitter.

He hurriedly took an ordinary glittery pink seat at an ordinary glittery pink table instead.

He'd tell her he never saw it. If she asked.

Luckily for him, Arifa was busy fixing the pastel fairy lights, stood on a tall stool, when she heard someone clear their throat.

She looked down.

Reeve pushed up his glasses.

"Can I help?" The young teen asked morosely.

It was kind of boring just sitting with his dad and his colleagues. 'Dad clubs, ew.' he thought, crinkling his nose.

He'd only come cause he thought he'd see real Celtic druids about, like in the fantasy games he played.

Too bad Arifa had persuaded (eh-hem, bribed) them to come tomorrow instead.

"Sure!" Arifa bubbled warmly.

"Go put these in each corner of the tent."

And that was how Steve saw his usually-manly son hugging four huge sparkly teddy bears as he toddled over to each corner of the tent, placing them down accordingly.

Steve secretly took a picture.

"Hey son, this'll look great on your résume! Experience as an Assistant Event Manager!"

"FunkshDadsh." Reeve managed to grumble out, his voice muffled by teddy bear fluff.

Inwardly, he seethed.

His dad was enjoying this.

Luckily, the food didn't disappoint; there were souffles and blancmange, ratatouille and zwiebelkuchen, elderflower fromage frais and a grand cake to top it all off.

When they got home, Tariq began to think how he would let Arifa know that the event wasn't the kind he, as a manly, 8-pack boxer, was supposed to have.

Then he happened to see Mark's Instagram post.

It was of all of them together, grinning at the camera. His daughter was visible at the corner, eyes narrowed gleefully, two fingers up.

Smiling.

Tariq smiled back, welling up.

It had been perfect.

Next time:

"What am I going to do?! I better leave soon, she's going to hunt me down and kill me as soon as she realises." Lyla scrambled towards the door.

Arifa couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Note: In case anyone's wondering, the title is a play on 'Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooey'. 😁