The Game

by Margarete Schebesch 

Today is a big day, says Mummy. Today I will be six months old, which is precisely half a year. This is why today we will do something special, says Mummy. We will play a new food game. Well, for Mummy and Daddy, this game is not as new because they play it a lot. They play this food game several times every day and seem to enjoy it because they talk and laugh while playing. Unfortunately, I could not join them until now, although I observed them and told them I would like to join. But today, the time has come; today I can finally play.

In the morning, Mummy worked for a long time in the kitchen cooking. First, she cooked for herself and Daddy. Then she cooked for me, she told me. She held me on her hip so I could see what she was doing. She chopped and boiled some beautifully coloured fruit. The beautiful colours were gone when the fruit was cooked, and it looked slobbery. Mummy poured it into that noisy machine, which stands on the windowsill. The machine made a horrible noise and mashed the fruit. When it stopped, a brown porridge came out. Mummy showed it to me proudly and said that it's for me.

I don't know exactly what that means, but the brown porridge looked very interesting. I would have liked to mash it with my fingers. Sometimes, such brown porridge comes out of me, but Mummy never lets me mash it with my fingers. Perhaps I can play with this new porridge today; who knows?

Usually, I drink a lot of Mummy's milk. It is so good for me. I can drink as much as I want and whenever I want, even while Mummy is sleeping. She holds me in her arms, and I feel warm and sleepy. Often, I fall asleep when finished, and later, I awake with Mummy in our bed.

But today it's different. Mummy is somehow not herself. She is agitated, and I cannot concentrate on drinking her milk. I want to close my eyes and fall asleep, but Mummy takes her breast out of my mouth, sits me upright, and says it's time for lunch.

I am happy because Mummy brings the brown porridge. She says it should have cooled by now and puts it in front of me. I am pleased Mummy guessed my wish, as she always does, and I plunge my hands into it. But Mummy holds my hands tight and cleans them. She takes the brown porridge away so that I cannot reach it. Then she brings another colourful toy, and I hope I can play with it. Perhaps I can get the brown porridge using it.

But Mummy does not give it to me. She puts the toy in the brown porridge herself and then comes close to my face with it. She opens her mouth wide, and I copy her because I think she knows how to play the game.

Suddenly, I feel something strange in my mouth. It tastes sweet, but completely different from Mummy's milk. It must be the brown porridge. I don't want anything in my mouth that tastes different from Mummy's milk. Mummy must have made a mistake. Obviously, she does not know how to play the game correctly. I want to tell her, but the brown porridge in my mouth stops me. I push it out with my tongue. Mummy returns with that toy and takes some brown porridge. I am relieved that Mummy has noticed that something is not right. I am happy and laughing – and then the brown porridge is in my mouth again. It seems Mummy has not understood. I want to tell her I don't like the brown porridge in my mouth. I push it out, this time a little firmer, and it falls on the tablecloth. I tell Mummy that I would rather drink her milk and fall asleep. But she becomes sad and takes the brown porridge away.

Today is a new day. Yesterday, I thought I could join the game Mummy and Daddy played, but Mummy forgot about it. Instead, she played another game with me, which I did not like. She brought a brown porridge, which I would have liked to play with, but Mummy did not allow it. I drank a lot of Mummy's milk afterwards, and now the misunderstanding is almost forgotten.

Today, Mummy did not cook, but we played together and went out for a walk. Now we are at home again, and I will drink Mummy's milk in a little while. I'm excited to do that. But Mummy does not take me in her arms. Instead, she sits me in a strange thing I can't escape. And then there is the brown porridge in front of me again!

Perhaps Mummy forgot that I wanted to drink her milk. Or I did not tell her clearly enough. But maybe I can play with the brown porridge this time. I think I can drink Mummy's milk afterwards, and wake up with her in our bed. The plate is too far from me. Mummy removes the tablecloth and brings the other toy again. Then the brown porridge moves closer. Mummy opens her mouth wide. I want to tell her that I know this game already, and I don't like it, and that I would rather drink her milk. But the brown porridge is in my mouth already. Mummy keeps the toy in my mouth, and I cannot push the porridge out with my tongue. I move it back and forth, and then somehow it goes away. I choke terribly, and it feels unpleasant, and I feel that something is wrong. But Mummy is happy and takes more brown porridge with the toy.

Mummy manages to let the brown porridge disappear in my mouth several times. Then I lose my patience and tell her clearly that I want to drink her milk now. Fortunately, Mummy understands, and I can drink her milk. She is pleased and says that we have come a significant step closer today. I don't know what that means, as she doesn't seem to have realised how to play the game with the brown porridge correctly.

Today is a new day. I feel strange. Something is going on in my belly, and sometimes it hurts. I tell Mummy it hurts, and she lets me drink her milk. Also, when the other porridge comes out of me, it feels odd. It hurts when it comes out, and Mummy is puzzled and says it smells bad. I don't know why. I drink a lot of Mummy's milk, and slowly, my belly starts feeling better.

Eventually, Mummy sits me in this strange thing I cannot escape. There is the brown porridge again, and Mummy wants to play. But today I don't want to play. I don't like this game. I tell Mummy, but she puts the toy into the porridge and comes closer with it. I close my mouth firmly and try not to look at Mummy. I gaze elsewhere so I don't have to open my mouth when watching her. Mummy acts strangely. I hear familiar words like grandma and grandpa, but I don't see either. Then Mummy waves about with the toy and moves to and fro. But I don't open my mouth. Mummy becomes angry and tries to open my mouth with her hands. I tell her to stop and that I want to drink her milk now. When I feel the brown porridge in my mouth, I push it out quickly, and it runs down my chin, onto Mummy's hand, which still holds the toy there.

I don't know what to do. I think Mummy does not understand what I am trying to tell her. Perhaps she does not love me anymore. Maybe she only loves me if I play this game with her. Why can't I simply drink her milk and wake up with her in our bed? I don't want to play any longer now; I don't feel like playing. I am hungry, and I want to drink Mummy's milk.

I open my mouth and let Mummy put the brown porridge in. I found out how to make it go away. I let some of the porridge go away and gaze at Mummy lovingly. She is happy, and then I can drink her milk.

Today is a new day. A few days have passed since we started playing with the brown porridge daily. Mummy seems to like this game since she does not want to stop, although I told her I no longer like to play. If I don't play, I cannot drink her milk. Then my belly feels empty, and I feel alone because I think that Mummy does not love me. So I play with her, because I can drink her milk afterwards. However, yesterday I was not allowed to drink Mummy's milk after we played with the brown porridge. Mummy took me in her arms and was happy I had eaten all the brown porridge from the plate.

I felt tired and fell asleep. When I woke up, my belly felt even worse than before. It hurt, and it seemed that a lot of the other porridge came out of me. Everything was wet, and my skin itched terribly. I could not scratch because my skin was covered where it itched. I told Mummy that it hurt, and she came and took the other porridge away, and I could drink her milk.

Today is a new day. My belly still hurts. I drank a lot of Mummy's milk, but it did not help. I feel weak, and I only want to be in Mummy's arms. She is agitated and rocks me back and forth as I drink her milk. Then we drive to a lovely lady who presses my belly with her hands. That feels good. Mummy talks to that lady, and then she cries. The lady speaks to her calmly and smiles at me. As we come home, I can drink Mummy's milk again. I am surprised because it was the time she used to play that game with me. Could she have forgotten? I notice that I feel better, and then I awake with Mummy in our bed.

Today is a new day. I'm sitting in this thing I can't get out of with the brown porridge in front. I tell Mummy that I don't want to play with the porridge. Mummy says nothing, but she puts the plate closer to me so I can reach it with my hands. I think she wants me to play with it. I take some with my hands. It feels good, soft. I can stir it with my fingers and let it drop. I can decorate the thing I'm sitting in. It's fun.

Eventually, the plate is empty, and Mummy looks at me. She smiles, but I can see something glistening in her eyes. She takes me out of the thing, and I can drink her milk. She holds me in her arms and hugs me tight. I drink a lot of milk, and later I wake up with Mummy in our bed.

Today is a new day. I feel great. I drank Mummy's milk all night long. When the other porridge comes out of me, it feels like before we started to play the game with the brown porridge. Mummy is lovely. She works a little in the kitchen, and then I drink her milk while she plays that game, which she usually plays with Daddy. But today it's different. Today I can join in. I can put my hands on her plate and touch everything. I see interesting things. When I lick the food, I can feel how it tastes. At last, Mummy has understood. She cuddles me and says that we are through now. I don't know what that means. But I am happy that I can finally play with Mummy and Daddy.

Today is a new day. A few days have passed since we saw that lovely lady who pressed on my belly. I drink Mummy's milk daily, and the brown porridge did not reappear. I also play the food game every day together with Mummy and Daddy. Sometimes, some things from their plates end up in my mouth. Sometimes I even choke a little, but it's not as bad as with the brown porridge. Mummy is pleased, and I can drink a lot of her milk. I am so glad that Mummy understands me. The thing I couldn't get out of did not appear again either. I now sit on Mummy's or Daddy's lap, and we talk, laugh, and play together every day.

Margarete Schebesch