NOLILINHA

                                                          Nolilinha






   Hi folks!
   I am almost six months old and this is my first attempt to connect with the world.
   I’m not sure about my name. When I was in my mom’s tummy, about every other week, for many months, I used to hear her saying Nolilinha, Nolilinha... I knew she was talking about me. A daughter/mother thing, you know! When I was born she introduced me to everybody as Savannah but, at home, she calls me Gurgula...
   So, I don’t know if my name is Nolilinha, Savannah or Gurgula, but I’m not concerned about it. I know I’ll have plenty of time to hear her justifications.
   Now! My mom is Lila and my dad is Tom.
   I’m really worried about my mom. I think she’s having problems with her batteries. Every evening, sometimes even earlier, she grabs something very strange that makes a weird sound, and puts over her chest for many minutes. After a while she jumps out of the couch full of energy and starts cooking dinner.
   Another thing that worries me about my mom is the lady that she keeps locked inside her car... Is this even legal? Every time she turns the car on, the lady talks: Please, say a command. I wonder if she’s a slave or something... My mom also has a phone which she uses to take pictures, to write on it, to make videos, to send e-mails, to ask for help when she’s lost, but when someone calls her, she does not answer.
   Grown ups are funny people...
   My dad is an Engineer. he spends hours drawing a bunch of lines and curves, numbers and letters, circles and tunnels on a large piece of paper... I think it’s a very complicated stuff because, many times, he does not remember what he did and needs special rulers and charts to remind him... Sometimes he comes home after work and likes to drink something dirty. He put a bunch of strange stuff together in a metal thing, shakes it so much that sometimes I get dizzy just looking at it, pours it in a glass that looks like a funnel, and drinks it.
   I’m also worried about my dad. Many times, he seats in front of the TV and keeps looking at a bunch of guys inside bizarre cars driving like maniacs, almost killing each other running for hours after nothing. At least the dogs run after a bunny...
   Gown ups are very funny people...
   I’m not sure if they understand me... Sometimes I’m sleepy and they put me on a thing that rocks like crazy, next to a lamp that makes a loud noise and, guess what? I wake up! Why can’t they put me in a quiet place and let me sleep?
   Also, sometimes they are mean to me... I know that they intend well but they hurt my feelings anyway. You see? A couple of weeks ago we went to a nice restaurant, they ordered a bunch of food, ate all of it and gave me milk... By the way, they better think of something fast, otherwise I’ll go on a hunger strike. And, if you think I’m wrong, try to drink only milk for over five months and then, tell me about it...
   I wonder why do they drive so fast, every time they cross a McDonald’s on the road... Don’t they know I watch TV?
   Another thing that bothers me is when people come in front of me and start making horrible faces and spitting on me, to catch my attention. I wish they could see their faces... I bet they would cry. So, how come they think it would make me laugh?
   Grown ups are really funny people...
   A few weeks ago I met my grandpa. A very handsome man, very elegant, as tall as my dad, I know he came from far away, but I think he is from another planet... I heard my mom saying how was your trip? Was the spaceship nice? Also, he speaks a strange language. He says things like, “Toma, ta’ cagada!” I know this is funny, because every time he said that, my mom laughed. He wears a kind of transparent shield in front of his eyes. Last time we were together I was hungry, I tried to eat his shield but it was very hard and tasted like metal... I didn’t like it!
   He brought me a shirt from his planet’s soccer army. It’s very nice, very colorful...
   He understands me... One day he was drinking the dirty thing in the strange glass, watching TV, just like my dad, while eating some chips and he gave me some, when my mom was not looking... He even let me put my hands inside the bag to choose my own.
   In one afternoon I was really bored. I was inside the house for two days straight and crying to let them know that I wanted to do something different. My parents didn’t get it but my grandpa did. He took me outside and begun to show me things, saying: “Olha aqui, a árvore”... “Não deixa o mosquito te morder! Sai fora zangão”... “Nãna nenem, não tô com sono não, meu dente tá coçando, me deixa passear”... I didn’t understand a word but, at least, he took me out of the house. Thank God!
   I know that he composed a song for me... I can’t sing it because I don’t speak yet, but I heard him singing many times... I like it!
   My grandpa went back to his planet now. He took a big saw with him, almost my size. I think he has to cut a lot of things, but he said he’ll be back soon.
   This week I’m going to visit my mom’s sister. She has two boys... I don’t know their names yet but that’s okay... If I don’t remember I can call them the big one and the little one. My mom goes there all the time. They talk a lot in the bathroom while her sister irons her hair...
   Well, I don’t have many things to say about myself at the moment... I’m really, really young but my mind is like a sponge and every day, every moment I’m learning and trying to adjust myself into this world. The only thing I know is that I’m happy. I also like these crazy people that make faces at me... I have a nice home, and there’s a cat in my house, but I’ll talk about her next time... I love my mom and my dad... And I love my grandpa too. He’s a very handsome man, very elegant too and, even being from another planet he understands me... I know that, if someday my mom forces me to eat my food, and I don’t want it, he’ll do it for me...



Copyright 2013 Eugenio Colin