Africa

My future profession involves working in a hospital, so to enter the program at college, I had to go get a whole bunch of vaccines and tests done. I was discussing the regiment I had to go through to my parents when Amy overheard and came into the room.

Amy: Why do you have to get so many medicines?

Me (jokingly): So I don't get sick when I go work in Africa.

Amy: You're going to Africa?

Me: Uhhhh, yeah.

Amy: What?! Really?!

Me (lying through my teeth): Yeah, that's where I'm doing my clinical placement. How do you not know this?

Amy (turns to my dad, who is also in the room): Is that true?

Dad (playing along): Yeah. Seriously, Amy, do you never clean your ears? Or do you just never pay attention?

Amy: Well, I didn't know!

Me: Did you not notice when I was gone for 2 weeks last month?

Amy: You were gone?

Me: Yeah, I went to Africa for an introduction to clinical work.

Amy: Did you really?

Me (now I'm feeling bad, so I'm trying to sound a bit sarcastic, but she doesn't pick up on it): Oh, yeah. It was great!

Amy: So....so, you were with dirty poor people?

Me: Sure, a lot of them weren't as well off as we are.

Amy: Gross. How can you even do that? You'd better not have brought diseases back!

Me: I only brought two diseases back, but I scrubbed them off of me using your bedsheets.

Amy: What?! No, you didn't!

Me: Obviously not. Why would I even want to be near your bed? I'd probably get bedbugs.

Amy: I don't have bedbugs? Do I, Mom?

Mom: *shrugs* meh.

Amy: Ok, Mom! I know you're joking! (she turns to me) So how can you even do that? Help dirty poor people?

Me: Because they need help.

Amy: But they're dirty and poor.

Me: So they can definitely use the help, don't you agree?

Amy: I guess, but I ain't going near no dirty people!