Synopsis: A child’s worst experience….a lost stuffed animal.
This sounds like a job for SUPER DAD!
A Father’s Life © September 2018 Stacey V. Luster II
Picture of Stacey Alexandria II and his son were drawn by my friend Kiandra Adhira
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy.
Date: Thursday 11-Oct-18 07:00 (Thursday, October 11, 2018 7:00 AM)
Location: Holiday Inn Pavilion Resort, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America
Stacey waddles around his bed whilst his brow furrows with confusion, “Where is he?” His purple T-shirt flutters in his makeshift wind and crinkles echo from the shark decorated diaper when he lands on his bottom and peeks under the bed, “Where? Where? Where?” I know he’s gotta be here! I just had Mr. Deepwater when I went to bed last night. I had him and Mr. Pinkinstien both side by side guarding me. I…I told Daddy they looked like guards from…from a movie we watched together. I…I…
Stacey whimpers as he rises to his feet and waddle-runs toward the table where my computer sits. He ducks under it and swallows hard when he doesn’t see his prized elephant, “Jus…jus when I was gonna…gonna…” Tears swim in his eyes as he shoots up and bumps his head on the table top, “Ow!” He inches backwards and lands on his bottom before hiccupping as he rubs his head.
……
I yawn and rub my eyes as I exit the shower and dry myself off. That was a good shower. I bet Stace is still asleep. He normally doesn’t get up until around 7:30. I slide my blue jeans up to my belly and button them up before following suit with my desert orange T-shirt sporting STAR WARS in gold letters under which R2-D2 and C3PO can be seen scanning the onlookers. I glance down to my watch and chuckle before sliding my phone into my pocket,
……
Date: Thursday 11-Oct-18 07:30 (Thursday, October 11, 2018 7:30 AM)
Location: Holiday Inn Pavilion Resort, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America
“Wow…time flies. How long was I in there?” Before I can turn on the sink to brush my teeth I hear sniffling and hiccupping. I drop my toothbrush and rush from the bathroom to the source of my son’s lamentations. When I find him sitting in front of the table holding his head and sniffling, I lift him to his feet and ruffle his hair, “What’s the matter, Stace? Are you hurt? Does Daddy need to beat someone up?”
Stacey hiccups and sniffles as he focuses his teary eyes on me, “He…he’s gone. I…I…hic…hic…” Stacey whimpers as he buries his head in my chest and releases choked back sobs, “Can’t…can’t find…Daaaady…I…can’t…hic…can’t find…him.”
“Can’t find who, Stacinator?” I rub my son’s back and hum a soothing tune, “What’s the matter?” I rise to my feet and walk toward the beds. Upon stopping between the beds, I take notice of his elephant and his bear from our old home standing guard with the diaper bag that’s sitting in front of the nightstand, “Ah…” I set Stacey on his feet and my heart almost breaks into pieces as he aims his crying face at me and points to the vacant spot where Mr. Pinkinstien should be. I don’t ask, his crying alone tells me what’s going on.
“I understand…my mission is clear.” I sit down on my bed and lift my son into my lap, “I’ll help you find him, Daddy promises.” I kiss my son’s forehead and reach into the bag to grab a couple of baby wipes. I wipe my son’s face dry and hold them up to his nose, “Blow okay?”
Stacey blows into the wipes and manages to smile at the sound that graces his ears, “Sound like…like twain hoon.”
I rise to toss the wipes in the diaper pail at the foot of my bed, “Yep.” I sit back down and kiss my son’s forehead whilst he gets comfy in my lap, “So,” I set Stacey on his feet in front of me, “Let’s start searching hmm.” I scan the right side of the room, “I’ll take this side and you take the other.”
Stacey sniffs as he toddles away from me and searches through the closet opposite the stove, “I…I…hic…I can’t…” Stacey waddles out of the closet and heads into the empty foyer, “He couldn’t hide hewe…there’s nothing…nothing…hewe.” Tears begin inching down his face and he whimpers as he heads back into the bedroom, “Daaaaaady.”
I turn from my flipping of the couch pillows to find my son sniffling and whimpering, “Oh Baby…” I pull my son into a warm hug and rub his back, “I’ve been looking all over. I’m sorry, Stacinator. Don’t worry, Daddy’s not gonna stop until we find him.” I release my son from my hug and head toward the bedside table to grab some wipes from the open diaper bag, “Daddy will help. There’s just more places I got to look.” I return to Stacey and wipe his face clean once again, “Daddy’s gonna find your elephant, I promise.”
I kiss my son’s forehead and go back to search through the drawers on the TV stand, “Stace…”
Stacey sniffles and waddles over to me, “Ye…yesh?” He lands on his bottom and pulls his head to knees as tears run down his face, “What did…did you want?”
I glance from the entertainment center and my heart cracks a little at my son’s crying, “Don’t worry, I’m gonna find him.” I turn away and swallow as I shut the door and pull at one of the top drawers, “I’ve gotta find that elephant. I also gotta go to Walmart and get more supplies for my little boy. We’re almost out of diapers and I want to get some snacks for us.”
I shut the drawer and sigh before pulling the next open. When I don’t see the elephant, I leave the living room-dining room combination and head back to the bedroom. He’s gotta be here somewhere!
Stacey sniffles as he watches me walk toward the bedroom, “But Daddy…I…” He waddles after me and sighs when he reaches the fridge. I hope he finds him. Stacey sniffs and opens the fridge to grab a water with a drink mix. Tears swim in his eyes as he pours the water and mix into his sippy cup resting beside the fridge then shuts it. He shakes it and whimpers as the water turns red with the Strawberry flavoring, “Daddy…pwease find him.” Stacey hiccups as he begins drinking the water whilst he toddles over to the couch and sits down to the tune of OneRepublic’s Connection.
……
Date: Thursday 11-Oct-18 09:10 (Thursday, October 11, 2018 9:10 AM)
Location: Holiday Inn Pavilion Resort, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America
I kneel in front of my bed and sigh as I crawl under it with a flashlight and begin searching. It’s been almost two hours of searching. My little boy has been drinking water after water and listening to OneRepublic’s Connection on repeat. I hate when he’s like this. I hope that I…
My eyes widen when I spot the elephant shrunk down to beanie baby size sitting against the wall. Within moments of me pulling it out, I scoot out from the under the bed with it close to my chest. I pull it behind my back and I fumble with it when it increases to normal size. Once I’ve got the elephant secure behind me, I walk into the living room to Stacey, “Stace…”
Stacey sniffles as he turns around to me, “What?” His eyes widen when I pull the elephant from behind my back, “YOU FOUND HIM!” Stacey takes the elephant and hugs it close before he waddles over to the bedside table where his stuffed animals are sitting. “DADDY FOUND MR. PINKINSTIEN!” Stacey sets his elephant in between Mr. Apples the Bear and Mr. Deepwater the Shark.
He giggles and bounces up and down as a white puff of smoke appears over his bed. Seconds later plastic wooden colored logs wink into existence, “Now I can make a house for you guys! Heeheehee!”
I walk into the bedroom and smile at my son as his happy giggles echo across the room. I’m so glad I found his elephant. I wonder how it got shrunk though. Maybe he had it in the diaper bag and it got tossed out when I…oh…that’s probably what happened. But wait…if it was in his diaper bag, how was he sleeping last night with it. I rub the back of my head as I watch a log cabin take shape before my eyes, “Doesn’t matter now. My baby boy is happy and all of his stuffed animals are together. Thank You God for bringing my son’s stuffed animals back together and helping me make my son happy once again. In Jesus Name I thank You and praise You. Amen.”
I sigh as I run a hand through my hair, “So…” I sit down beside the house that currently consists of just four walls. My eyes widen when I spot a picture of the stuffed animals smiling resting above a miniature fireplace and a couple of chairs scattered about the area with a table in the center, “Wow Stace…you’re really not leaving anything to detail loss huh?”
Stacey smiles toward me as he places his stuffed animals inside, “Nope, Daddy! When I ain’t playing with them, Daddy…they’ll be sleeping in their log cabin. This way I’ll never lose them again!” Stacey lands on his belly and swings his legs as he picks up the roof of the house. He flips onto his back and sits up to show the roof to me, “See…it’s got a hatch so I can pick up my stuffed animals and put them back easy. It’s awesome, Daddy! Better than taking off the whole roof.”
Happiness swells in my heart as I watch my son hop off the bed and toddle over to the dresser where our bedroom TV rests, “I see. It’s a nice place for them, Stace.” I withhold a chuckle when I notice him jumping up and down to place the house on top of the dresser, “Stace.” I walk over to my son and take the house, “You don’t need to put them up there.” I kneel to kiss his forehead and walk over to the bedside table to set the house next to his diaper bag, “Just keep them here where you can get to them easy.”
Stacey smiles toward me, “Thankies, Daddy!” He waddles over and wraps his arms around my waist when I turn around, “Thankies for helping me find Mr. Pinkinstien. Thankies for cheering me up, Daddy! You’re the bestest in the whole world!”
“Heee…” I smile down at my son and kneel to return his hug, “Daddy loves you too, Stacinator. It’s no trouble helping my baby boy. You help me in more ways than you know.”
Stacey giggles as he brings his head off my shoulder and blinks his eyes, “How’s that, Daddy?”
I release him from the hug and focus on his innocent smile and vibrant eyes, “You just being you, Stacey. Daddy loves you for being you. I love you from your head to your toes. Forever and a day.” I kiss my son’s forehead and smile, “And nothing will change that, Son. I promise you that.”
A Father's Life 