Boarding the Train to Mommy Hell -- II

The YO's still under the weather. And the EO decides to show off his noise-making skills. From shouting at the top of his voice, to roaring like a lion cub testing his ferocity levels, to keeping elevator doors open so that the irritating alarms beeps not-stop thus grating the underside of your skull-cap to banging doors shut...it's been a noise fest to push an already unhinged Mamma at the end of her tether, right off the edge of the world!

So, said Mamma is carrying sick and fast-asleep YO down to the car. The elevator alarm and door banging episodes have already taken place and dire threats have been passed. We settle ourselves in the car -- the EO, the YO with his sleeping head resting on my left shoulder thus his little ear fully exposed to the EO's vocal chords, and me, a frazzled Mamma, body aching after the hour-long Pilates torment.

The EO suddenly shrieks loudly, "MAMMAAAA!!" right near the YO's ear! Thankfully my little one, too sozzled from the various cough syrups he's on, doesn't wake up. But I hiss out a loud and menacing "What's wrong with YOU!! Can't you see bhai is sleeping??!!"

My EO looks contrite and my she-devil horns droop a bit. "What?", I hiss, a bit more gently this time.

And my EO whispers to me, "Mamma, you know, I sawed this picture of a mamma monkey and she was doing like this to her baby...", and he proceeds to do a patting-plus-massaging kind of motion on my thigh, similar to the kind I do on their backs when I'm tucking them in and telling them stories at bedtime.

As if that's not enough, he finishes his hand movements, looks back up at me with eyes full of tenderness and whispers, "So sweet naa?"

I swear the boy tortures my soul on purpose!