Tool Using Bug

Last night Little Bug discovered how to really make use of the telephone.

It was after midnight when he woke up wanting to nurse. He started to fuss, but quieted when I woke up and called for Jennifer, whom I assumed was in the study. When she didn't answer, he frowned and looked like he might really holler, but I said, "Come on, let's look for her," and reached for him. He understood me better than I expected, and crawled over to be picked up. We went to Jennifer's desk, and I realized she must have gone out to copy one of the billions of documents that constitute our move, which can only be worked on in the middle of the night, when Bug is asleep. Poor Jennifer was at Kinko's, and I tried to think what I was going to do with what was soon to be one very unhappy Bug. I got him a cup of water and took him back to bed.

That's when he realized that I had failed. He screwed up his face and let loose with a heart-rending cry.

"Wait, Bug," I said, with only a slight edge of desperation in my voice. "We can call Mama Jennifer." And so I did, as he once again held his wailing in hopes I could do something useful for him. I put Jennifer on speaker phone, and we talked for a minute: she had to send a couple of faxes but would be right home after that. "Bug," I said, "do you want to talk to Mama Jennifer?"

"Hello little love,"she said.

Then Bug had his say. He let lose with the saddest, most wrenching cry ever, all the grief in the entire world compressed into one single piece of communication with his Mama J.

"I'll be right home," she told him.

Bug had mastered the use of the phone.