Minding a Hurricane

Pin It Now! Gentlewoman decided to dine outside. She was pregnant, nearing her seventh month and she had relatives visiting with their fidgety brood. Besides she had her own little devil to mind, which was a task in itself, much like minding a... she didn’t know the word. But she knew she wasn’t going to cook for anyone. Oh no, not today. They would eat out. She was pleased by her decision. They would go to…

Residency Towers. It was just the place to go to for the New Year’s Eve. Now, leaning back on her comfortable chair, son on her lap, she surveyed the gathered. Everyone seemed happy to be there, all fourteen of them. She was pleased. They’d met up after a long while. Cousin looked thin; maybe she was on one of her fancy diets, soups and cucumbers and more soup. Oops! Was that soup that just fell on the floor besides her?

Before she could decide, another weeny blob fell on her lips. Umm. That was soup. Her baby was liberally spooning it all about him as he giggled in glee. Her immediate vicinity was getting progressively gooey and the hovering waiter progressively uneasy when she pushed the soup away from her baby, in horror. The waiter quickly cleared it with an inscrutable expression. Thank goodness the baby did not wail. He usually did when anything was taken… Oh!

There he goes! God, all eyes where on their table now. On her and the baby. “Please bring that soup back,” she thought with increasing unease. “Please bring something to him”. She’d ordered a noodle, didn’t she? Where was it? She later remembered someone pushing a plate of long-life noodles in front of her and her son becoming quite immediately like he’d been switched off. Amma! Could she take anymore? Wa… what was that?!

A strand of noodle had just plopped sloppily onto her hair; her baby was destroying the noodle now! How she loved those twiny, soft noodles, rich with steamed vegetables. And she had it on her hair. As she reached out for a tissue to remove the strand, her little one promptly dumped some more noodle on to the back of her palm. Where’s hubby dear who always came to her rescue? She had to shut her eyes for a moment. Maybe that would change things.

“Happy New Year!” She heard someone shout, close by, and immediately a weight came off her lap. Hubby had taken over just in time. Thank you. Thank you so much. She’d quickly go clean up in the ladies room and join the party after. But did she want to? All she was thinking of was a speedy escape. As she stood up, she saw the waiter looking at her with that inscrutable expression again. “Oaf! I hope you have twins!” she thought as she made a beeline for the rest room. Pin It Now!