Baby moved.
He extended his little hand and held tight to his mother’s index finger. He smiled his little smile in which the first milk teeth were just breaking through the gum.
Mother looked down at him, surprised at first, and then with delighted amazement.
“Husband!” she cried. “Look!”
Father, slightly annoyed at being called away from what he was doing, looked over his shoulder. “What is it?” he snapped. “What happened?”
“Baby,” cooed Mother, “little Baby. At last you’ve held on to my finger. At last you’ve smiled. And I thought you never would!”
“He has?” Her husband – task forgotten – jumped from his place and strode over. “Let me see.”
“There,” said Mother, quivering with happiness and joy. She pointed to Baby’s little fist tightly wrapped around her finger, and the lingering smile on his face. “He’s reacting, can you see? He’s finally acting like a normal baby!”
“They did say he might be just a little slow to start developing,” Father said. “I told you so, but you would worry and fret.” He grinned and hugged her tight. “Still, it’s a great feeling,” he said. He leaned over Baby and began making clucking noises. Baby smiled and cooed.
“I love you,” Mother said, and kissed Baby’s head and held him tight to her breast. He began to suckle contentedly.
“I’d better get back to getting the meat ready,” Father said at last, not hiding his disappointment at having to leave Baby. “We’ll smoke and preserve what we don’t eat right away. It’s not every day we get meat of this quality.”
“Yes,” Mother said. “It’s a great feeling, isn’t it? The meat this morning, and now Baby’s finally reacting. It’s a great day for us, Og!”
“Yes,” said Father, and grinned, showing his immense teeth. “I’ll paint something on the cave wall later to remember it by.”
Copyright B Purkayastha 2009
He extended his little hand and held tight to his mother’s index finger. He smiled his little smile in which the first milk teeth were just breaking through the gum.
Mother looked down at him, surprised at first, and then with delighted amazement.
“Husband!” she cried. “Look!”
Father, slightly annoyed at being called away from what he was doing, looked over his shoulder. “What is it?” he snapped. “What happened?”
“Baby,” cooed Mother, “little Baby. At last you’ve held on to my finger. At last you’ve smiled. And I thought you never would!”
“He has?” Her husband – task forgotten – jumped from his place and strode over. “Let me see.”
“There,” said Mother, quivering with happiness and joy. She pointed to Baby’s little fist tightly wrapped around her finger, and the lingering smile on his face. “He’s reacting, can you see? He’s finally acting like a normal baby!”
“They did say he might be just a little slow to start developing,” Father said. “I told you so, but you would worry and fret.” He grinned and hugged her tight. “Still, it’s a great feeling,” he said. He leaned over Baby and began making clucking noises. Baby smiled and cooed.
“I love you,” Mother said, and kissed Baby’s head and held him tight to her breast. He began to suckle contentedly.
“I’d better get back to getting the meat ready,” Father said at last, not hiding his disappointment at having to leave Baby. “We’ll smoke and preserve what we don’t eat right away. It’s not every day we get meat of this quality.”
“Yes,” Mother said. “It’s a great feeling, isn’t it? The meat this morning, and now Baby’s finally reacting. It’s a great day for us, Og!”
“Yes,” said Father, and grinned, showing his immense teeth. “I’ll paint something on the cave wall later to remember it by.”
Copyright B Purkayastha 2009
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