It's My Word, and I'll Do What I Want To

Yesterday morning, one of my kids was complaining about me, and what an awful person I am. I tried to defend myself.

"Don't I call your house every time you're absent? What other teacher does that?"

"Only you, Mr. Educator. You ever call my house."

"I think you mean always."

"No,  I mean ever. I like ever."

"But it doesn't make any sense."

"Yes it does, Mister. What about forever and ever?"

'Well, the forever sort of means always. But ever by itself doesn't really work."

"But I like it. I'm ever going to use it," she insisted.

"No one will know what you're talking about," I said, "and people will ask who the idiot is who taught you English."

"That's right, Mister," she agreed, "forever and ever."