The Great Escape

"Mama!"

"Mama!"

"Maaaaa-mmmaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Silence. It's still the grey time in the morning. I've had a scary dream.

"Maaaaaaama!"

A few more moments pass. Nothing. It's still grey. I look to my right. The rabbit piggy bank on top of my dresser stares back at me. It's glassy eyes follow me. I want out.

I shake the bars to my crib. "Mama! Mama! Mama!"

Still nothing.




"Dada?"



I shake the bars to my crib again, this time harder. The red apple toy beside me begins to make the bell noises. The rabbit on my dresser keeps staring at me.

I don't like this grey light.

I flop down on my butt. I throw my blankets. I grab the mattress to try and throw it too...and see the floor. There's space between the metal wire things. I can see the floor.

I pull the mattress back and stick my head through the wires. My head gets stuck, but then I fall on the floor and land on my shoulder.

I roll over onto the carpet, and stand up. My head just barely passes the bottom of the crib. I grab a blanket from my rocking chair and walk towards the door.

My little fingers have a hard time grabbing the door and pulling it open. I try many times. The door always moves an inch; and then slips back. I look way up at the doorknob. That's what Mama and Dada use to open the door; but I can't reach it.

I stick my little foot in the crack of the door and use all my weight to slide it open. It's hard because I have my pyjamas on. My sleeper covers my feet so the door slips sometimes. Eventually I slide it wide enough to stick my hip in and wedge myself through.

I'm now in the hall. I sling my blanket over my left shoulder and start to suck my thumb.

I walk.

Nothing going on in the bathroom.

I walk past my parents' room and towards the room where the TV is. I flop in front of it. I wait for the pictures to come on -- but they don't. I suck my thumb a bit more. The light is still grey. It's very quiet.

I stand up and walk past my rocky horse and into the kitchen. I can't reach the counter so I try to open a bottom cupboard. It's stuck. I walk back to the room where the TV is to look at the fishes.

I listen to the noise the bubbles make. I like the fishes. I stick my nose against the glass because I want to kiss the fishes -- but the fishes swim to the other side. I step back. After a while the fishes swim closer to me. I stick my nose against the glass again; but the fishes run away.

I go back to sit in front of the TV and wait for the pictures to come on. The light is getting more yellow. I hear a bird.

I'm hungry.

"Dada!"

"Dada!"

I grab the knob on the TV and pull it out with all my might. The picture comes on but it is only black and white snow. I touch the other little buttons and one of them makes the snow noise louder. I turn it the other way and the snow noise become quieter.

"Dada!"

I want my cereal.

"Dada!"

I turn the little button and the snow noise is really loud. I sit and wait.

My dad shuffles out a few moments later; turns the big knob and Woody Woodpecker is on! I love Woody Woodpecker! And Commander Tom....and Davey....

I hear my cereal being poured into a bowl. The drawer with the knife opens and there is some clanging. I hear the fridge door open and the milk glops into the bowl. Glop. Glop. Glop.

The light is more yellow now. The birds are really loud.

My dad turns the corner and puts my cereal bowl beside me. I am watching Woody Woodpecker.

"Don't touch the volume." he says, and turns back to his bedroom.

I don't know what the volume is, but I do know that mama doesn't like it when I touch the little knob that makes Woody Woodpecker louder -- so I don't touch it.

I eat my Cheerios and only spill a little milk on my tummy. The yellow bowl is too big for me to hold properly, but I don't care. Woody Woodpecker is on.

The light is really yellow now. The birds are singing loudly, and I can now hear lots of cars driving up and down the street.

Boogie Oogie Oogie (1978)
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