Day 72: My Dad Has Funny Knees

My Dad Has Funny Knees
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Hi.
This is me…
This is my Dad.
(Kid, smiling, Dad’s legs, in pants, behind him.)

I like my Dad’s feet!
(Dad’s kegs taking big strides, kid standing on his feet, copping a free ride.)

My sister and I play chasey around his legs.

Sometimes we play football.
(Dad’s foot kicking ball that is bouncing off wincing kid’s head. (Boing!). Can only see Dad’s boot and socks. No knee yet.)

But BEST OF ALL, my Dad has funny knees!
(Dad’s legs in shorts, slightly pigeon kneed, hairy, with band-aide on one knee) (a defining feature)

Dad and his knees come with me when I go for a walk!
There’s a whole other world down here!
(Double page spread. Dad’s legs above kid, while other kids follow paper boat in gutter, ride cool chopper three wheelers, pat cats, skateboard, cute dog peeing on a startled kid’s leg. Other adult legs can be seen.)

When Dad drops something, I sometimes catch it!
(Apple pie on kid’s head) (Splat!)

It gets crowded on the bus.
(Kid, and Dad’s bare knees in shorts, surrounded my a sea of legs in pants and jeans, etc…)

 Oh, boy! The beach is fun…!
(Wave hitting Dad’s unmoving legs, while boy, wide-eyes, smiling, is being knocked about by it.)

 I get to see lots of stuff Dad doesn’t!
(Kid squatting, Dad’s legs in background. Kid making icky, tongue out expression as he watches a bird pull a worm from the ground.)

Sometimes too much!! (Grrrrr!)
(Close up of kid, no Dad, face-to-face with growling dog.)

YIKES!
(Kid, arms out, running.) (Woof! Woof!)

Phew! That was close!
(Kid hiding behind legs (no band-aide) that are facing retreating dog.)

Hang on…! YOU’RE NOT MY DAD?
What does he look like?
Well, he has funny looking knees, just like you…
(Kid, wrapping himself around leg that is up, cocked, so head of owner can look down and talk to him. Kid’s expression stressed.)

WAH!
EVERYBODY HAS FUNNY LOOKING KNEES…!
(Kid running, weaving through everybody’s legs. People raising legs where he has run past, to get out of his way.)

This isn’t so funny.
(Kid crying.)

BONK!
(Runs into Dad’s leg.)

YAY! IT’S DAD!
(Kid hugging both legs, so Dad is falling over.)

Dad also has a silly looking head!
(Dad baffled, as kid clambers all over his head.)

Ohh…!
(Dad walking, with kid on shoulders. Kid looking in wonder at kites, birds, clouds, planes, things in the air.)

Mum asks me if I learned anything today.
(Kid, head looking up at mother, who we can only see the legs of.)

 “Sure,” I tell her. “KNEES ARRE FUNNY LOOKING!”
(Inside, Mum and Dad’s knees in the background, kid in foreground, looking at own knees, big smile on face.)

 

The End.