January
18, 2016
I
wake to the rustle of the person next to me. Upon opening my eyes she is
standing there staring, smiling. “Hello,” she says excitedly. I wipe my eyes,
climb out of bed, and fumble downstairs, still not quite steady on my feet. My
tummy rumbles with hunger, I wonder what’s for breakfast today. It’s taking
forever. Why can’t she hurry up? The Lady seems to have her own timetable for
things which I cannot understand. She finally come downstairs and works on my
breakfast. But first, her coffee. Always coffee. I love tasting it; the
sweetness, the bite, the warmth on my tongue and in my tummy. She never lets me
have as much as I want.
We sit and food appears. Today it’s something in a bowl
with a spoon. The word “oatmeal” is tossed around by the others. I’m not quite
sure about the steaming pile in front of me, but then milk and sugar is added
and my tummy is growling at me so I take a spoonful. Mmmm, it’s good. I eat and
eat until I feel about to burst. Warm oatmeal followed by cold juice mixes in
my stomach. I finish and walk back into the kitchen to wash my hands. The water
is cold, that lady never lets the water warm up for washing, says it takes too
long.
I am ushered into a room and told to play. There are toys
for me and the others. It starts to get really loud because everyone is
playing, but The Big One and The Other Big One are working. They sit at a high
table on top of which I cannot see. It’s like a magical table that I’m not
allowed to see or understand. It’s frustrating. They do stuff without me all
the time. I sit and play and stack and bounce balls and color. The Lady shouts,
“Hey stinky!” I laugh. I know what she’s going to try to make me do next. She
chases behind me as I run away, laughing heartily. I can’t outrun her so she
scoops me up, carrying me into the next room. She changes my diaper, laughing
and tickling me. She’s sweet when she wants to be. Why was I mad at her
earlier?
We sit again at the table and food appears. Looks like
bread with some goo on it. The words “peanut butter sandwich” are tossed around
by the others. I take a bite. Mmmm, it’s good. I think the Big One made this
today. The lady doesn’t always do everything. She has her own food sometimes. I
wonder why she doesn’t eat the sandwich like me. I’m not really that hungry,
but I eat some sandwich, and then go back into the kitchen to clean my hands.
The water is warm this time! It’s a miracle.
The Lady swoops me up again and I know what’s coming
next. Oh how I want to stay up and play. Why does this always happen every day?
She’s so mean; she never asks me what I think! She must hate me. I know it.
It’s so loud now, and that noise is coming from me. Maybe it’ll convince her to
change her mind and let me stay downstairs. Nope. Binky. Bed. “Nighty night,”
she says. “I love you buddy.” Hmm, this is actually kinda nice, I think. And fade to black.
I wake to the warmth near my bottom. Now it’s cold. I’m
not really sure what to do next, because usually someone wakes me up. Then the
door opens and I see the Other Big One with her smiley face coming to get me.
We go downstairs and I find the Lady. She’s standing in the kitchen just like
before. It’s like she lives there. “Hello, can I get some food,” I think. I
make some noise but she’s not getting the message. She comes down to my eye
level, “I think you need some new pants,” she says. I dutifully obey and head
to the bathroom and lay down. “Good boy,” she says.
After the Change, I get a cup from the drawer and bring
it to her. If she doesn’t understand what I want now then she’s an idiot.
“Gimme food, Woman,” I think. Thank God, she’s going for the cracker box. She
pours some in my cup and I sit down. The crunch of the cracker is so
satisfying. The Lady is listening to something, and it makes my bum wiggle. Boom,
boom, boom; the beat is perfect for spinning. I am ushered out of the kitchen
and told again to “Go play.” I want to be in there with her! She’s so mean.
Oh wait, I think, there’s something sparkly. I walk over
to it, and I can’t remember what I was just upset about. It doesn’t matter
anymore. The Middle One is sitting with a book, I want it. I take it. Out of
nowhere she hauls off and hits me. Why? She’s so mean. The Lady intervenes and
I get the book back, The Middle One has to leave. Yes! She’s amazing, that
Lady.
A sound from the door to the outside, it’s the Man!
Yaaay! He’s home! He gives me a squeeze and cuddles me. My snack cup spills. He
pulls me onto his back and makes noises and runs around. The room spins
frantically, like that one time at a park.
I am set at the kitchen table and food appears in front
of me. Tonight it’s rice with some brown stuff. I take a bite. Mmmm, it’s good.
The words “chicken curry” are tossed around by the others. Everyone else has
some red sauce on it, I want some. The Lady gives me a little and I lick it. Oh
my! That’s horrible! Who would ever eat that garbage! Eww! It’s so loud! I hate
it! She hands me some water which I gulp. Mmm, that’s better.
I move to the kitchen and my hands are washed. It’s warm
this time. “Go play,” she says. I sit on the couch and shortly she comes over.
We lay on the couch together. This is my favorite. It’s so warm and I like hearing
her chest beating. I like her. She’s so warm and squishy.
Uh oh. I can feel something happening. It’s like a
compacting, my tummy feels strange. Then, a squishing, a squirming. And then,
release. Relief.
I’m
whisked upstairs again. The Lady means business this time. No laughing here.
She’s working magic that I can’t see, but it feels cleaner in my diaper. Oh,
that’s better. She’s nice to do that. I wouldn’t want to. She puts on my warm
clothes and we snuggle with a book. I pick out the soft one that makes noises.
I like that one. The Man comes in with the Middle One, The Boy, The Older One
and the Other Older One. We are all together. I look around at their faces,
they all look alike. I like them.
The
story is over so The Lady lays me on her shoulder and sings a nice song, then
lays me on my pillow. I like this time. Night night Mommy.
