It had to happen.
We took Eben to hospital yesterday. It was nothing important but when he was born a routine check wasn't done - or if it was done the results weren't written down - so yesterday we had to drive all the way across the country to spend five minutes in a dark room with a consultant Radiographer to learn our son has an 'Unremarkable' bladder.
We took the opportunity of being (almost) alone to do some grown-up shopping. My parents had the girls for the day. So free from the constant attention grabbing of my daughters, I'm standing in Waterstone's holding Eben with one hand, and flipping through somecomic books graphic novels with the other when another customer, pushing a baby in a pram, spots my darling boy. She goes all goey and we engage in the ritual exchanges that all new parents do so well:
Her:
Isn'thelovelyHowoldishe?
Me:
Fourandahalfweeks.
Her:
Ohhe'ssolittle!
Me:
Don'tlethismotherhearyousaythat.Hewaseightpoundsten.
Then...
Her:
He's lovely. Are you his grandfather?
Me:
(Pause. Blink. Pause) No... I'm his father...
Her:
Mummblemummbleoops! (Exit right)
Suddenly I don't want to buy agraphic novel comic book any more. I want to go home*.
*Nice cup of cocoa, pipe, and slippers.
We took Eben to hospital yesterday. It was nothing important but when he was born a routine check wasn't done - or if it was done the results weren't written down - so yesterday we had to drive all the way across the country to spend five minutes in a dark room with a consultant Radiographer to learn our son has an 'Unremarkable' bladder.
We took the opportunity of being (almost) alone to do some grown-up shopping. My parents had the girls for the day. So free from the constant attention grabbing of my daughters, I'm standing in Waterstone's holding Eben with one hand, and flipping through some
Her:
Isn'thelovelyHowoldishe?
Me:
Fourandahalfweeks.
Her:
Ohhe'ssolittle!
Me:
Don'tlethismotherhearyousaythat.Hewaseightpoundsten.
Then...
Her:
He's lovely. Are you his grandfather?
Me:
(Pause. Blink. Pause) No... I'm his father...
Her:
Mummblemummbleoops! (Exit right)
Suddenly I don't want to buy a
*Nice cup of cocoa, pipe, and slippers.
1 comment:
I heard a musician on "A Prarie Home Companion" a couple of Saturdays ago. He dedicated a song to his young daughter, stating his own age (late 50s or early 60s) and proudly said he'd decided to skip having children and go straight to having grandchildren - that it's more fun that way. I loved that. :)
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