Exercise: Show and Tell – A girl is meeting her father’s new girlfriend for the first time, but finds that the woman in only 23 years old.
Tell The two of them arrived at the restaurant. Hayley was excited to be meeting her father’s girlfriend at last. She didn’t think there would be any problems, as she had lost her mother long ago.
The restaurant was very posh and she felt intimidated. They reached the table and Hayley was shocked. This woman looked so young. Suddenly her father seemed to be embarrassed.
“Hayley, this is Vanessa. I’m sure you will have a lot in common. Vanessa, this is my daughter”
Vanessa looked as worried as Hayley at the situation.
Show They walked out of the cold into the warm luxury of the restaurant. Hayley hadn’t expected somewhere so expensive. After they had handed over their coats, Hayley smoothed down her dress and patted her hair. Was she smart enough? She was sure her father’s girlfriend would be smart and sophisticated. She glanced in a mirror. Yes, her mother would be proud of her. At least she thought she would, she barely remembered her.
Would she soon have a proper mother, someone who could teach her how to behave in situations like this. Show her all those things only a mother can tell a daughter?
“Come on, stop admiring yourself.” Her father wasn’t usually so short with her. He looked so young in his smart clothes, more like her boyfriend than a father.
They walked between the tables and she noticed the wonderful food, she doubted she would be able to eat anything; her stomach was already full of butterflies. They arrived at the table and the waiter pulled out a chair for her, colliding with her father who was trying to do the same thing. What was wrong with him? She sat down and faced the woman across the table. She looked round at her father, there must be some mistake, this, girl, couldn’t be his girlfriend.
“Hayley, this is Vanessa” He cleared his throat “I’m sure you will have a lot in common.” He looked at the other girl, “Vanessa, this is my daughter.” He collapsed into the third seat.
Vanessa looked from father to daughter and then remembered the parcel on the table. She picked it up and handed it to Hayley. “I brought you a present” then, as Hayley unwrapped the badly wrapped parcel, to reveal a Teddy Bear, “Sorry, I was expecting someone younger” She glanced at Hayley’s father.
“That’s all right, I was expecting someone older” Hayley learned forward, “Actually how old are you?” “Twenty Three.” Hayley picked up the heavy menu and pretended to read it. Vanessa was only a few years older than her. She was never going to be the mother Hayley wanted. She watched as Vanessa and her father whispered together, casting worried glances in her direction. Then she had an idea. She put down the menu and smiled broadly at Vanessa. “You know, I’ve always wanted a big sister.” Vanessa’s face also brightened. “Yes, I don’t have a sister either. Your father said we would have a lot in common. I think we are going to be great friends”
They both turned to the man at the end of the table, who appeared to be choking on his drink. “Are you OK?”
Tell The two of them arrived at the restaurant. Hayley was excited to be meeting her father’s girlfriend at last. She didn’t think there would be any problems, as she had lost her mother long ago.
The restaurant was very posh and she felt intimidated. They reached the table and Hayley was shocked. This woman looked so young. Suddenly her father seemed to be embarrassed.
“Hayley, this is Vanessa. I’m sure you will have a lot in common. Vanessa, this is my daughter”
Vanessa looked as worried as Hayley at the situation.
Show They walked out of the cold into the warm luxury of the restaurant. Hayley hadn’t expected somewhere so expensive. After they had handed over their coats, Hayley smoothed down her dress and patted her hair. Was she smart enough? She was sure her father’s girlfriend would be smart and sophisticated. She glanced in a mirror. Yes, her mother would be proud of her. At least she thought she would, she barely remembered her.
Would she soon have a proper mother, someone who could teach her how to behave in situations like this. Show her all those things only a mother can tell a daughter?
“Come on, stop admiring yourself.” Her father wasn’t usually so short with her. He looked so young in his smart clothes, more like her boyfriend than a father.
They walked between the tables and she noticed the wonderful food, she doubted she would be able to eat anything; her stomach was already full of butterflies. They arrived at the table and the waiter pulled out a chair for her, colliding with her father who was trying to do the same thing. What was wrong with him? She sat down and faced the woman across the table. She looked round at her father, there must be some mistake, this, girl, couldn’t be his girlfriend.
“Hayley, this is Vanessa” He cleared his throat “I’m sure you will have a lot in common.” He looked at the other girl, “Vanessa, this is my daughter.” He collapsed into the third seat.
Vanessa looked from father to daughter and then remembered the parcel on the table. She picked it up and handed it to Hayley. “I brought you a present” then, as Hayley unwrapped the badly wrapped parcel, to reveal a Teddy Bear, “Sorry, I was expecting someone younger” She glanced at Hayley’s father.
“That’s all right, I was expecting someone older” Hayley learned forward, “Actually how old are you?” “Twenty Three.” Hayley picked up the heavy menu and pretended to read it. Vanessa was only a few years older than her. She was never going to be the mother Hayley wanted. She watched as Vanessa and her father whispered together, casting worried glances in her direction. Then she had an idea. She put down the menu and smiled broadly at Vanessa. “You know, I’ve always wanted a big sister.” Vanessa’s face also brightened. “Yes, I don’t have a sister either. Your father said we would have a lot in common. I think we are going to be great friends”
They both turned to the man at the end of the table, who appeared to be choking on his drink. “Are you OK?”