5:30 A.M. Wednesday. Darkened upstairs. I awake to the sound a child calling out "Mommy!. I stand in the hall, unable to discern which child it is in my dazed state. I hear it again, "Mommy!" It is S.
I enter S's room. It is dark except for her disco night light, which changes color every 10 seconds. S is in bed, sitting up and agitated. Beside her in the bed are two stuffed monkeys wearing pajamas.
S: Mommy, I had a bad dream!
Me: You're okay. What about?
S: Sorry I woke you."
Me: Me too. Tell me about your dream.
S: Are armadillios real?
(Armadillio is pronounced armadilly-o. I stifle all laughter.)
Me: Excuse me?
S: Armadillios. Are they real?
Me: Don't you mean armadillos?
S: No, this was an armadillio. Like a crab. At the beach. Are they real?
Me: Um, no. What happened exactly?
S: We were on the beach looking for crabs and shells and an armadillio walked up to me on his back legs and picked me up and cut me with his tail.
Me: He had a sharp tail?
S: Yes, and he picked me up and cut me with it.
Me: That sounds scary.
S:It was. (Begins to cry softly.)
END SCENE
I crawl into bed with her, under the covers. She breathes her morning stink breath in my face and cries tenderly. I put my arm around her. I close my eyes. I see a human sized armadillo, wearing what looks like a horseshoe crab on its back, holding S and trying to stab at her with a hinged stiff tail. I stifle more laughter. I don't know where she came up with this one. We did see an armadillo crawl out of a bush when we were in Florida in November, but those things are more odd than threatening. And small. Certainly not large enough to carry around a tall seven year old like his child bride. It isn't weirder than any of my dreams. But no less amusing.
When I was about her age, I too dreamt of armadillos. Only mine weren't bipeds. Mine were Asian and had gemstones for teeth, and I called them Chinese markadillos. But they didn't have sharp tails nor did they go around on the beach grabbing children and carrying them before cutting them. Quite frankly, I don't remember what mine did, other than haunt my dreams. I wonder if there is a latent armadillo nightmare gene.
2 comments:
I'm choking from laughing so hard. I had forgotten about Chinese markadillos. Thanks for the laugh, I needed it.
V woke at 2 am the other night because there were bugs in her room. Needless to say, no bugs. but she saw them the next night as well.
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