The Tip Jar by Dodge & Becs (aged 56 & 25)
"Dad, can I just use your PC for 5 minutes?"
"Go for it."
I ushered her into my study and she plonked herself down at my computer. I sat on one of the comfy sofas studying my phone.
"I just need to check Google Maps, the phone display is so small. Won't be a minute," she explained moving the mouse around.
"Oh yeah? going somewhere?"
"Don't know yet, might have a week in Toulouse, anyway ssh I need to concentrate."
"Toulouse? How come?"
She ignored me and made some notes on her phone.
"Right....done."
She closed the window down, and suddenly burst out laughing.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She could hardly suppress her giggles as she sat beside me on the sofa.
"Yeah I know it's funny isn't it, Google Maps? Especially that bit with the street view, just hilarious. Satellite view cracks me up every time."
She turned to me and cocked an eyebrow, a sardonic smile.
I let it pass. Young people- unfathomable. Women- unfathomable. Young women? Forget it.
"So you came straight from work? Train on time?"
Our relationship had become somewhat strained since my separation from the family home, but we were getting there.
"Yes."
I nodded sagely as though weighing up her detailed response. I suppose I'm something of a rambling man, and terse conversation makes me uneasy. I found my heel tapping on the floor, nervous.
"Yes, you came straight from work? Or yes the train was - "
"What's Chaturbate?"
"What? Chatter what now?"
"Chaturbate, the site."
I made a puzzled face, somewhat exaggerated, and shook my head, shrugging.
"There's a link to it on your desktop."
"OH yeah....yeah it's an AI program, does chatting in different languages-"
"Oooh really? Show me?"
"We-ell, we should be thinking about dinner...curry."
"OK, I'll ask again. What. Is. Chaturbate?"
I knew she knew. She knew I knew she knew.
"Just...y'know, women. Women doing things on camera."
"I see."