Daiki's Dummy

      “Mama, my mana mo moo meh mark,” Daiki exclaimed, running into the kitchen.

      The young woman standing in front of the sink looked down at the ball of teal fluff that was her baby Yurble. “What was that dear? You know I can’t understand you with your dummy in your mouth.”

      Daiki sighed, pulled the blue ducky dummy from his mouth, and tried again. “I wanna go to the park!” he said.

      “Oh the park, well all right then, go and fetch your siblings and we’ll go as soon as I’ve finished the dishes,” his mother Aria said.

      “M’kay!” Daiki said, plugging the dummy back into his mouth before running off again.

      Upstairs, he barged straight into his big brother Ashnel’s room. “Ashy, me’re moin’ moo meh mark!” he said.

      The blue Bori looked up from the pile of neodeck cards he was sorting. “What?” he asked.

      Daiki scowled, but pulled the dummy out again. “I said we’re goin’ to the park!” he repeated.

      “Oh, okay,” Ashnel said. “Y’know Dai, it’d be a lot easier to understand you if you got rid of that dummy, you’re getting a little big for it, don’cha think?”

      Daiki put the dummy back in and shook his head vehemently. “Nuh-uh,” he said, backing out of his brother’s room.

      He bumped into his sister Tanji in the hall. “Manji, me’re –”

      “Can’t understand you little bro,” the red Usul said, “ditch the dummy then we’ll talk.”

      Daiki felt his rage boiling over. He was sick of his family not understanding what he was saying, and of their constant admonitions that he was too old for his dummy. He stormed past Tanji, pushing her aside, and stomped down the stairs.

      “Well somebody’s grumpy,” his mother said, slinging a heavy diaper bag over her shoulder, “you sure it’s not nap time?”

      “My mon’ mana map!” Daiki shrieked, stomping his feet.

      “Well how about a warm bottle then?” Aria asked, “I packed one to bring to the park, but you can have it now and we can talk about what’s bothering you.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of kau’s milk, offering it to her youngest son.

      Daiki looked at the bottle uncertainly for a moment, then snatched it from his mother’s grasp, swiftly removed his dummy, and shoved the rubber bulb into his mouth.

      Aria put the bag down and scooped Daiki up, carrying him to the sofa in the living room. She sat down and held him close on her lap. “Now then, what’s got my baby so upset?” she asked.

      Daiki sucked in silence for a moment, then sighed, “Everybody keeps tellin’ me they can’t understand me when I talk with my dummy in my mouth, an’ that I’m too big for it now.” His lower lip wobbled traitorously as he looked at the dummy in the palm of his tiny hand, “But I love my dummy, it makes me feel good, I don’t wanna give it up.” He sniffled and nuzzled his head into his mother’s chest as he put the bottle back in his mouth.

      “Oh my baby,” Aria sighed, stroking Daiki’s fuzzy head, “growing up can be so hard. I know you love your dummy, but maybe we could find something else that makes you feel good that others won’t give you such a hard time about. What do you think?”

      Daiki thought about this. “My bottle feels good,” he said at last, “and so do snuggles, and warm baths, and my bedtime diapers and my ducky jammies, but I can’t bring those things everywhere with me like my dummy,” he sighed.

      “Well,” Aria said, “what if we found you a snuggly toy or a blankie to take with you instead? We could go into town today and find one.”

      Daiki looked at his dummy forlornly again. “Okay,” he said at last, “we can try.”

      “Good,” Aria smiled, “we’ll go this afternoon on our way back from the park. You ready to go?”

      Daiki slid his dummy back into his mouth and nodded, handing his almost empty bottle back to his mother.

      Aria picked Daiki up and rose from the sofa, and he latched his arms around her neck. She walked to the foot of the stairs and called, “Kids, we’re headed to the park, let’s go!”

      Ashnel and Tanji soon made an appearance, and the four of them set off on their adventure.

      At the park, Daiki made a beeline for the sandbox. He spotted a green plastic shovel and started to dig.

      Suddenly a shadow fell over him, and he looked up. A baby Kacheek stood there clutching a yellow bucket. “You wanna play with me?” she asked.

      Daiki nodded, and she sat down next to him. “I’m Lucy, what’s your name?” she asked as he scooped sand into the bucket.

      “Maiki,” Daiki mumbled.

      “Mikey? That’s a cool name,” Lucy said.

      Daiki pulled his dummy from his mouth, “No not Mikey, Daiki, with a… a… well I don’t know the letter,” he said, cheeks flushing.

      “Oh, sorry, I couldn’t understand you with that binky in your mouth,” Lucy said, “how come you have that anyways? Isn’t it for babies?”

      Daiki looked at her. “I am a baby,” he said.

      Lucy chuckled, “No, I mean for like real little babies, who can’t walk an’ talk an’ stuff yet.”

      Daiki felt his face grow hot as his anger began to simmer again. “Well what about you?” he snapped, “aren’t daytime diapers for babies too? At least I don’t wear those anymore!” He jumped up and dropped the shovel, kicking over the bucket of sand as he shoved his dummy back into his mouth and stomped off towards the swings. His eyes swam with tears as he walked, blurring the world around him.

      Aria watched her baby storm off in a huff and went to intercept him at the swings. “Hey little one, what’s wrong?” she asked. She could see the dummy trembling in his mouth as he tried not to cry.

      Daiki looked up at his mother for a moment, then threw himself at her leg and burst into tears, wrapping both arms around it as his tears soaked her jeans. “Wwaaaaaaaaahaaaah!” he wailed.

      Immediately Aria scooped him up and bounced him in her arms. “Shhhh, it’s okay baby,” she murmured as she stroked his fur, “you’re okay.”

      “My-my mana mo mome!” Daiki sobbed, scrunching his fists into his eyes.

      “You want to go home?” Aria translated. Daiki nodded. “Okay, we can go home, but first let’s stop at the general store to find you your new special snuggly toy, okay?”

      Daiki sniffled and nodded again.

      They sat on a bench together for another twenty minutes while Ashnel and Tanji played, then Aria called them back and they set off towards home.

      “Hey Mom, if Daiki’s getting a new toy, can I get some more neodeck cards?” Ashnel asked.

      “I suppose so,” Aria agreed, “and Tanji, you can get something too if you want.”

      “Thanks!” Tanji exclaimed, “I’ve been wanting the silly clown usuki for my collection forever!”

      They arrived at the general store and the blue Kacheek behind the counter greeted them as they entered. Aria and Daiki went to the baby aisle while Tanji and Ashnel ran off to look at toys.

      “Ooh look at these,” Aria said, plunging a hand into a pile of teddy bears, “aren’t they cute?”

      Daiki took one from the pile and gave it an experimental squeeze. Its fur tickled his nose and its plastic eyes poked him. He put it back and shook his head.

      “How about these ones? They have rattles in them!” Aria said, pulling a baby Draik plush off the shelf. Beside it sat stuffed baby pets of many different species.

      Daiki picked up a baby Cybunny and shook it. The tinny rattling noise hurt his ears. He shook his head again.

      “That’s okay, they have some nice blankets over here,” Aria said.

      Daiki looked over the piles of folded gauze and fleece and cotton blankets, not expecting to find anything, when suddenly something caught his eye. At the very bottom of one of the piles was a white cotton blanket covered with lots of little hearts. He pointed to it and Aria dug it out for him, unfolding it and holding it up for him to see. It was fringed with bright red silk, and had little heart tassels on each corner. “This one’s sweet,” his mother said, “and it’s soft too!”

      Daiki grasped a corner and ran it through his fingers, then buried his face in it. It was soft, it felt nice. He pulled his dummy out of his mouth and pressed his face into the fabric again. He could feel it better without the presence of the dummy there.

      “You like this one?” Aria asked. Daiki nodded. “Great! Let’s go find your siblings, here, you hold this,” she said, handing Daiki the blanket.

      Daiki bundled the blanket into his arms and pressed his cheek into it, savouring the soft, reassuring feeling.

      They arrived home and Daiki was about to run off to play when Aria said, “Why don’t you try giving me your dummy to hold onto for you? We can see if your new blankie works.”

      Daiki paused. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to give up his dummy yet, and besides, if the blanket and the dummy each worked on their own, imagine how well they’d work together! He looked up at his mother earnestly. He had promised her he’d try leaving his dummy behind in exchange for the blanket, he owed her that at least. Reluctantly he pulled the dummy from his mouth and handed it to her.

      “Good boy,” Aria smiled, “I’m very proud of you. Now go play, and tell me how it goes.”

      Daiki dragged his blanket into the living room, casting one last forlorn glance over his shoulder at the dummy in his mother’s hand.

      That night at bedtime, Daiki was laying on the changing mat as his mother put his night diaper on, and he said, “I want my dummy back, I can’t sleep without it, the monsters’ll get me.”

      Aria smiled as she finished taping up the diaper, “I know you miss your dummy, but you’ve been doing such a great job without it today. Besides, didn’t I tell you? That blankie of yours is great at keeping monsters away too.”

      “It is?” Daiki asked, sitting up, “how?”

      “If you put it over your head, it turns you invisible!” Aria exclaimed, guiding Daiki’s feet into his ducky pyjamas and buttoning them up.

      “Really?” Daiki asked excitedly. He pulled the blanket over his head and asked, “Can you see me?”

      “Oh goodness, where did my baby go?” Aria cried, looking around, “I don’t see him anywhere!”

      Daiki giggled and poked his head out, “Here I am!” he cried. “You really couldn’t see me?”

      “Oh thank Fyora, there you are!” Aria said, “I thought you’d disappeared forever!”

      “Wow!” Daiki beamed, “this is so cool!”

      “So, still want your dummy?” Aria asked, picking him up.

      Daiki bit his lip. He did want his dummy, but he also wanted his mother to be proud of him, and he knew his blanket would keep him safe from the monsters. “No, that’s okay, I don’t need it,” he said bravely. “But I do still want my bottle!”

      Aria laughed, “Of course baby,” she said. She carried him downstairs wrapped in his blanket and settled them both on the sofa, next to which she’d left another bottle of warm kau’s milk.

      Daiki nestled into the crook of her arm as she held the bottle for him. As he sucked, his eyes started to close, until he was fast asleep.

      Quietly Aria pulled the bottle from his mouth and carried him upstairs. She laid him in his crib and he sighed and rolled over. She watched for a moment, then bit back a laugh as she watched Daiki slide his thumb into his mouth. She shook her head with exasperation. Such was the life of a baby, weaning off one habit and onto another until one day you looked back and discovered you didn’t need dummies or blankies or thumbs anymore. Soon enough that day would come, but for now, Aria kissed her baby on the head, and let him sleep.

     The End.