“Hi Noni!” she says, as she creeps into our dark room, dragging her blanket, and Ted, her huge, floppy teddy bear. “Hi Bean” I mumble as she climbs into bed with me. Ahhh, I think, time blurring the edges of the reality of “sleeping” with a four-year old. 15 minutes pass, with tiny dagger like knees in my back, coughing in my ear, sneezing in my face and the use of my hair as a convenient tissue. The cat, emboldened by the predawn stirrings and wanting her morning treat, enters the room meowing, then goes in for the kill, circling our heads, purring and kneading as she goes. “Good morning, Bean”, I finally say, an admission of defeat. I hear her smile in the dark “Good morning Noni!” she chortles, happy as only a child can be before sunrise. We push the covers off and feel our way through the darkness together, Bean, the cat and me.
Bean and Me
