Mantra count down

This is my last week under civil service rule. I am not feeling anything about it. The count down is not about this last week as civil servant. The count down is going away from my family. Of course, I will make my time with them more frequent as possible.

It will be difficult for my daughter. She will be 5 this August. For the last five years we have not stayed apart except for one or two weeks in a year. She is closer to me than to her mom.

Ever since she was in the formation stage, I used to sing every evening. I heard that babies are sound sensitive that they can recognize the songs or voices when they arrive outside. So, I sang one particular song every evening. My wife had to tolerate my voice though.

I could not sing on the first day after daughter came to this world. If I had, I could have agonized those husbands who were holding babies born from Cesarean section. But I tested the theory the next day when both my females were discharged. I sang near her ears, soft and melodious (exaggerated). She slept peacefully. I sang the song whenever I got the chance. At one month old, I could see her head positioning to my song. I confirmed she did recognize the song.

At three months, I hummed like this - unu waktsa, unu waktsa (this baby, this baby) while holding her. Her head on my palm, legs towards my abdomen, I hummed 'unu waktsa, unu waktsa...". I still do it today although I can't hold her in that position for long now. Her growing legs don't allow it too. But it was at 1.2 years that she shocked me. As usual I picked her up and positioned her head on my palm. Before I hummed my mantra, she hummed it synchronizing to my hands' swing. It was a magic to me. I took her to all her uncles and aunties to boast of my miracle. She obliged whenever I swung her head up and down. Still today, she hums it  when ever I keep my palms under her head. Her uncles try to copy me but she does not hum for her. I think this trend will be continued until we grow old. I can imagine a time when she announces to become a fiancee that I will lift her up and repeat our childhood memories. Her man will find us crazy when she hums "Unu waktsa, unu waktsa" that time.

And what do I have different now? I have a new arrival. He is 15 days old today. Another one week, I will be gone from him only to see him changed his face. I heard babies can change their faces for nine times. I only hope his ninth face is as handsome as his daddy. That should make him proud throughout his life.

Well, what do I do with my son in this limited time. I sniff him. Yes, like a mongrel hunting for a deer. The baby smell is sweet. The smell is stronger in the hands. I smell his gloves. They are wet from putting in his mouth. The breast feed makes it sweet. Every time I sniff him, I implant it in my brain. When I am alone tossing in my bed, I want this smell to come to me. I will be instantly near my baby. So, I sniff him like a mongrel hunting for a deer. Of course, my wife finds it funny. She does not know my brain is capturing every olf of our son.

He is a peaceful boy, sleeps 24 by 7. I got a mantra for him. With the limited time to stay with him, I want him to grow as big as possible in three weeks. I want him to talk to me. I want him to tell me jokes. But he is a little fellow who knows only to sleep. So I hum along that line, in bit of frustration as "Yib yibsa, yib yibsa" which translates to "always sleeping, always sleeping". My daughter caught me while humming to her brother. She too leans towards him and hums along with me. "Yib yibsa, yib yibsa" we sing together for him.

I don't know whether he will be able to recognize my voice when I hum it the next time I see him. If it does not work, I may have to think of another thing. With circumstance, anything will come to the rescue. I will go for a long distance technique that time. But for all the time I have at home with my family, I can hum "unu waktsa, unu waktsa and yib yibsa, yib yibsa" 24 by 7.