Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Goodnight, Chip

Day 1
Chip’s bedroom 8:30 p.m. or so.

It’s painted a fresh lime green. Dark green curtains hang on two windows- they have turtles printed on it. The ceiling fan grunts as it turns lazily; the glow of its light illuminates the small room. A chest of drawers sits along a wall; it has a music system on it. Two transparent plastic storage boxes lie on the floor next to it with an assortment of stuffed animals, trucks and a giant toy jackhammer. Along the opposite wall lies Chip’s bed draped with sheets in Diego theme. Chip is ready to go to bed.

DotMom: Chip, do you want to sleep with Diego today?
Chip (with a big grin) : Aa-ha. Yyyyyes.

He has no idea who Diego is, except he is the cute little boy with big brown eyes and a mop of hair that is printed on the sheets of his big boy bed.

DotMom: Music?
Chip: Yay Dance.

Chip does a wiggly number.Dotmom switches on the CD. Soothing Bach follows. Lights are dimmed. Chip gets into his bed excitedly and draws the covers.

Chip: Deego Deego. (Hugging and kissing the sheets) . I want bhoo-bhoo nee-nee.

Chip jumps out of the bed, grabs his stuffed dog from the plastic bin and cuddles.

DotMom (pulls covers over Chip) : Good night Chip.
Chip: Night-night Aie. Are you happy?
DotMom (softly) : Yes Chip. I am very happy. Are you happy, Chip?
Chip: Yes.
DotMom: Then close your eyes.
Chip: Aie, ithe bas.
DotMom: I am not going anywhere Chip. I am right here. Close your eyes.

Chip closes his eyes, opening every now and then in tiny slits to steal a glance, making sure DotMom is by the foot of his bed. DotMom pats him gently and sings a lullaby. After 10 mins, Chip finally falls asleep. DotMom silently does a victory dance and exits right.


Master Bedroom, right after.
It’s a largish room furnished with contemporary furniture, a low, king sized bed, flanked by matching bedside tables and lamps. Across the bed is a small chest of drawers with a flat panel TV. In the corner of the wall stand two tall speakers, playing Sting, very softly. A poster of a Cezanne fills up the right wall. Photos of Chip as a baby stand on the tall speakers. DotMom enters left, still doing the victory dance, high-fives BigGeek who is propped up on the bed, reading his school books.

BigGeek (high fives) : Yay!!! Finally.
DotMom (smiling, getting into bed and turning on her bedside lamp) : At least it’s a start.
BigGeek: He needs to sleep in his room.
DotMom: Yes, yes.
BigGeek: We should Ferberize him. Let him cry it out.
DotMom (opening a book) : Won’t work. He is too old now. Besides he has always been a high need baby.
BigGeek: Won’t work for who? You or him?
DotMom: I like singing lullabies to him. Beats the cry-it out method anyways. Before you know it he will be eight and won’t want a cuddle. And then, he will get even older and will have a girlfriend. (DotMom shivers a little)
BigGeek (laughing) : Let’s hope he sleeps through the night.

Big Geek and DotMom go back to their books. Fade out.




Master Bedroom;12:30 am.
It’s dark. Chip’s voice can be heard off-stage.
Chip (crying) : Aie!! Aie!!
DotMom stirs from her sleep, and then wakes up with a start.
DotMom (switching on her bedside lamp) : Chip! Chip! I am here.

Chip enters right, rubbing his eyes and sobbing.

Chip: Aie! Aie!
DotMom: Come here, baby.

Chips climbs on to the bed, wedges himself between BigGeek and DotMom, cuddles DotMom and goes off to sleep in an instant. DotMom switches off the light. Fade out.




Day 2
Chip’s bedroom 8:30 p.m. or so.


DotMom: Time for bed Chip.
Chip (pointing towards master bedroom) : I want tithe nee-nee.
DotMom: Chip, you are a big boy now. You have to sleep in your big boy bed. What will Miss Debbie say if she finds out you still sleep in Aie-Baba’s bed.
Chip (thinking) : Eeeeeew?
DotMom (tucking Chip) : See? Do you want music?
Chip: No Dance.
DotMom: Book?
Chip: No Book.
DotMom: Close your eyes then.
Chip (pointing towards master bedroom) : I want tithe nee-nee.
DotMom: I’ll sing you a song. Which song do you want?
Chip: Ailamaa-Pailamaa.
DotMom: Chip, are you happy?
Chip: No. I want Ailamaa-Pailamaa.

DotMom starts to sing. Chips tosses and turns for a while then settles and dozes off.
Fade out.





Master Bedroom; 9:30pm.

It’s dark. Chip’s voice can be heard off-stage.
Chip (crying loudly) : Aie!! Aie!!
DotMom wakes up.
DotMom (switching on her bedside lamp) : Chip! Come here.

Chip enters rights sobbing, big tears streaming down his cheeks.

Chip: Aie! Aie! Aie! I want ithe nee-nee.
DotMom: Come here, baby.

Chips climbs on to the bed, wedges himself between BigGeek and DotMom, cuddles DotMom and goes off to sleep in an instant. DotMom switches off the light. Fade out.




Day 3
Chip’s bedroom 8:30 p.m. or so.


Chip: No! No! I want tithe nee, I want tithe nee-nee.
DotMom: Chip, you are a big boy now.
Chip: Baba, Baba, I want tithe nee-nee.

Chip exits right, running. DotMom follows.




Master Bedroom 8:30 pm or so.
Chip enters left, running. DotMom follows. BigGeek is propped on the bed, reading his school papers.

Chip: Baba, Baba, I want tithe nee-nee.
BigGeek (picking up Chip) : Chip, you are a big boy now. Come, let’s go sleep with Diego.
Chip (crying) : Please, no Diego, no Diego. I want ithe nee-nee. Please Baba, yes? Ithe nee-nee? Yes Baba, Yes?
BigGeek: Ok. Come here.

Chip is smiling, wipes his tear streaked face with the back of his hand, gets into bed with BigGeek and snuggles up to him. DotMom gets in next to Chip, wedging Chip between her and BigGeek.

Chip (turning to look at DotMom) : Aie, are you happy?
DotMom (softly) : Yes Chip, I am very happy. Are you happy. Chip?
Chip (grinning widely) : Yyyyyes. Night-night Aie.
DotMom: Goodnight Chip.

Chip snuggles up to BigGeek and is asleep in a few minutes. DotMom starts to read her book. Fade out.




Epilogue
Everyday, at bedtime, DotMom asks Chip if he wants to sleep with Diego. Chip always answers no. Chip is still wedged between DotMom and BigGeek every night and he is very happy, as is DotMom and as is BigGeek, though he won’t admit it.

9 comments:

Anusha said...

LOL! totally loved this 'play'.
looks like it will be a while before Chip can nee-nee in Deego's arms. as long as you're all happy, its all good :)

why does he wake up just a few hours later, tho? is to check on you, you think?

Something to Say said...

o dear! we were planning to get our sonny to start sleeping on his bed (placed in our room albeit) and then slowly shift the bed to the next room..... look slike these romance killers wont leave us in peace ever... but then u're right - when he is 8 he wont wont us sleeping next to him - and at 13 he reject our hugs and kisses - and at 17 he'll stop talking to us...booo hooo... hooo

Maggie said...

LOL!

Although, if you have room in your bedroom, why not have him sleep on his bed in your room to start with?

Savani said...

kodi's mom: well... we'll keep trying :)Chip has been a high need baby. Everything in Chip is amplified - the good, the bad, the ugly. sigh.

somethingtosay: good luck on the transition! I have a new found respect for people with multiple kids.

moppet's mom: Sadly, the room is not that big. The bed would have to stick to one side of our bed and not able to get off the bed from the side makes me very, very cranky. The original reason we brought Chip to our bed.

Crumbling Cookie said...

Lovely narration.
A seperate mattress for chip in your room? That way u can get off the bed easily..just thinking out loud. Coz we r in the same boat here!

Just Like That said...

hehe cute Chip! Looks like Diego will have to wait patiently for a while still...
Lol at your new found respect for parents of multiple kids. Me too!

Swati said...

Lovely Narration...I also keep wondering for right time for a seperate bed :P

Savani said...

sm: he will jump on our bed when he wakes up after an hour or so  good luck with your transition 

just like that: dieo will wait as long as it takes 

swati: thanks.. dunno.. when they want to go?

Preethi said...

lol... you know the drill in our household... Nantu can now sleep on his own though.. either in his bed in the master bedroom or his bed in his own room.. at 2:30 every night.. the bed hopping occurs.. unless he needs the star!!!! these kids know exactly what they are doing!!!