This morning on the warm-up jog.
Kym: Why was that signal showing red and green at the same time, Baba bear?
Me: It must be malfunctioning.
Kym: Mal…what?
Me: ‘Mal’ is a prefix that is sometimes used to mean ‘bad’. Malady is an illness, malnourished is someone who hasn’t had proper nourishment, malpractice means bad action, malformed means badly structured, malaria is a disease that was named after what was thought to be its cause: bad air, and so on. Similarly, malfunctioning means not working properly or working wrongly.
Kym: <nodding silently>
30 minutes later.
Me: KYM, WHAT THE HELL? DID YOU JUST RUN AT 6 MINUTES TO A KM??? WHAT IS THIS? A WALK IN THE PARK? AM I WASTING MY TIME HERE? YOU USED TO RUN A 30-MINUTE-5K AN YEAR AGO? SHOULDN’T YOU BE FASTER? ARE YOU GROWING UP OR BECOMING SMALLER? I SAW YOU STOP THERE AND THERE AND…
Kym: Baba bear, I was just tired and it was very hot. It’ll be OK the next time. But what’s with the shouting? Are your emotions malfunctioning?
Me:
Kym:
Me: Oh. Sorry. You’re right. How silly of me to shout. Did you enjoy your run?
Kym: I did. Did you enjoy your walk?
Me: I did.
Kym: I love you, Baba bear. Even when you malfunction.
Me: Come here, you little bear! I think someone needs a bear hug.
Kym: I wonder who.
