The Voices You Hear

... when there is silence

Nurseries and playpens and babies are typical scenarios for drama, or maybe even suspense and horror, depending on one's perspective.

For some, it could be a battleground for a debate. Now it would be quite understandable if it were the parents of the child involved that were debating. That is not the case when you have a bottle, a pen, a remote control, and a blanket as baby sitters.

"Remy, for the last time, I told you to turn down the volume!"
"How will she hear the sounds of the ocean if the volume is turned down low?! Huh?! Huh?!"
"Bic, Remy, please, you are both too loud. It took Maine a long time to get her to sleep, we don't want them coming in here again to a crying baby girl."
"Sshh...oh dear sweet Athena...isn't she so cute, Binky?"
"She's got her mom's eyes."
"Ooh, ooh! And Richard's dimple! Like father like daughter!"

The tiny human stirs, eyes still closed but hands clutching at the blanket and rubbing it on her face. She then makes sucking noises, as if drinking milk from her mother earlier before succumbing to sleep. The objects fall silent, afraid to make another sound lest it will be the baby's cries that fills the room, making her parents come rushing back in the nursery.

Yet she remains silent, falling back into sweet baby slumber. Satisfied sighs were heard.

"Aww. Good golly! She is so cute! I can't wait for her to watch a lot of cartoons!"
"Adorable kid, really. And like her mom, she rubs me on her face, too."
"I bet she'll grow up to be as clumsy as Richard."
"Oh, let's hope not, dearie."

The door opens, faint light seeps through, and whispers are heard.

"Love, I told you she's still sleeping like an angel."
"I know that, but I swear I heard Remy, and Bic, and Bel, and Binky! They're talking again!"
"They have not spoken to us since we got married, Love. Why would they talk now?"
"I don't know! But I did hear Bic and Remy arguing. I miss them, Richard. Why did they stop talking to us?"
"I don't really know, Love, but I miss them, too. So much. Sometimes I just stare at Remy while holding our baby girl, willing for the remote to leap even just a bit. But...he's just silent."
"Do you think they felt like we've abandoned them?"
"I don't think so Love. They probably think that, well, we have each other now. And that their 'job' to be our friends are done."
"But we never stopped being their friends. Even if Bic can be too sarcastic at times, but I've learned to live with it."
"Hey, don't cry. Love, come here. Look at our little angel. She's sleeping so comfortably with Binky wrapped around her. Bel watches over her from the shelf, Remy is lying on her crib, and Bic, well, she's safe up there with Bel. Athena might grab her and poke herself."
"Yeah. They're like our watch guards over Athena."

The parents watch over their tiny human, adoring the cute bundle as she sleeps. Maine reaches over to tuck the blanket and placed the remote near her. She looks over where the bottle and the pen are and smiles fondly. She turns to her husband.

"I miss them, Richard. But even if they don't talk to us anymore, I feel more at peace whenever they're around Athena."
"I feel the same way, Love. They will never let anything happen to our little girl. And to all our future kids."
"Kids? Plural? So we're having more than one, huh?"
"Of course. Don't you want more?"
"Oh I do. Maybe around 24 more."
"Huh?!"

A snicker was faintly heard, making them look back to the crib. Everything was still, except for the steady rise and fall of the baby's chest.

"Was that Remy?"
"I think it was Binky."
"Bel? Bic?"
"Come on guys, we know you can still talk...why won't you talk to us...?"

Silence still filled the room. After a few more minutes, they kiss the child and go out of the nursery, leaving the door a little open. The remote started fidgeting.

"Guys! Hey, hey! Maine touched me! She did! She placed me nearer to baby Athena! Oohh!"
"We saw that, Remy, stop being too smug about it."
"They miss us. Oh dearies, we miss you, too."
"We're just here kids. And we'll always be here, even if you do get to have 24 kids."
"Dang, 24?! My Maine girl sure has humor."

The baby stirs, and opens her eyes. The objects fall silent, waiting for a loud bawl to come out from her cute little mouth. Instead, she smiles and lets out the softest chuckle, and then goes back to sleep.

The voices you hear when everything else is silent is the sweetest passing of an angel's wings.

And giggles.

*** THE END ***