That was one of my mothers favourite sayings. Whenever she thought I was not telling the whole truth, out came the stock sentence which I knew meant that she knew I was fibbing.
That’s how I knew I was in trouble when I was supposed to be at college, and when a pal and I were bunking off to sneak to her house and puff our lungs black, way back when smoking was trendy and all the cool girls puffed away. We’d been dobbed in by her mother who came home early and found us on our second pack of lung bashers.
Mum – “where have you been today?”
Me – “college.”
Mum – “and the band played believe it if you like.”
I didn’t have to say any more, I knew I was caught.
Fast forward 20 years and I have my own kids.
Me “why were you so late coming out of school.”
Son “it was gym today, and we didn’t get changed until after the bell went.”
Me “and the band played………………..”
Arrrrrgh, I’ve turned into my mother