Through the Eyes of A Child
I opened my eyes. I was looking up at the ceiling. Why I was looking there, I don’t know, but I kept looking anyway, and laughing. I kicked my legs and shuck my arms, but it brought me no closer to what I was looking at. I called out “Ga, ga, gaagh, goo.”
There was no reply.
I lifted my head. But it fell back down. I was lying on my back, and I was covered from foot to neck in the blanket my Dada had tucked me into. I wanted to move my arms over my covers. But I didn’t know how to move them in coordinated motions. I had been practising since I arrived from my mother. But it takes a bit of getting used to.
I called out again “Goo – goo – mama.”
Again there was no reply. I kept kicking and shaking my arms. I shuck my head. I tried all the movements I had learned so far. But nothing seemed to move my cosy restraints. I looked up at the ceiling again. It was the same as it had been earlier on. But it was all I had to look at. There was bars on both sides of me ‘which I could probably look through’. But believe me, for the effort it would take to turn my head sideways; the ceiling was a much better option. As the room got brighter, I became more and more awake, and more and more restless.
I called out again “Mama – Dada – ga ga – goo goo.”
Still there was no reply. I kicked and I kicked. I pushed with my arms. I was determined. I was uncomfortable from lying there for so long. All I wanted to do was change my position. Oh yeah, and get out of my wet nappy.
I called louder this time “Mama – mama – mama.” Then out of frustration I said “Goo – gah -ga.”
I kept trying to free myself, and finally it paid off. One of my arms was free. I could move it right up to my head. I could touch my mouth, my nose, my ears, and the bars of my sleeping place. I could touch the bars. I could touch the bars and I could grip. What if I was to grip the bars and kick and shake at the same time? I tried it and I could.
I shouted a victory chant “Ga ga – goo goo.”
I kept kicking and shaking, and eventually my other arm was free. I had two arms to use now, and now that I had them I was going to use them well. I tried to push my cover down. But it was too much of a chore. So I hung onto the bar again with one hand. If my arms were longer I could have reached the other side as well. But they weren’t, so I couldn’t. I kept kicking and kicking. Then I had an idea. I kicked my legs, at the same time as pushing with my hands. It was working. My restraint was getting looser. I could move more freely. I was warm and I needed air. I stopped kicking for a bit and had another look at the ceiling. It was still the same.
I called out one last time “Ga ga mama – dada.”
Still there was no reply. Just a funny noise from my dada’s nose. I started kicking again. I was making real progress. I was starting to do some new movements. I had the sheets down to the top of my wet nappy. I had got this far. I could get further. As the sheet worked its way down to my feet I was feeling good.
I sang a little song “Ga ga goo goo – ga goo ga.”
At last my feet were free. My arms were free. Now if I could just learn how to stand up. If I could grip the bars with both hands and pull myself up, I could look at my sleeping mama and dada, instead of looking at the never changing ceiling. I managed to roll over onto my tummy. I moved my legs and my arms in different directions. I was slowly getting into the position I wanted to be in. I was making real progress. I was determined to stand by myself.
I heard a noise coming from where mama and dada were sleeping. I tried to look over. But my head was too heavy in the position I was in. I got a burst of energy and grabbed hold of the bars. I moved my legs. My head was rising up, and my body was following it. I was almost on my feet.
I called out “Dada – mama!”
There was no reply. I looked over at them. They were sleeping. They were sleeping, and I was standing. For the first time in my life I was standing, and they were asleep. I had to wake them. I had to let them see me.
I called out “Mama – mama – gaah.”
There was no reply, and I didn’t know how long I could stay like this for. I started shaking my legs. The bars shuck with me, and with them shaking there was a noise. I shuck harder. I called out. There was a movement in the bed. My mother’s head had moved and her eyes had opened. I was excited for her to see me standing up like this. I smiled at her. She smiled back at me.
I said “Ga ga – goo.”
Then it dawned on her. I could stand! I was doing it now! I could stand up! She sat up, smiled at me and said, “Hello sweetie. Did you stand up all by yourself?”
I laughed, and with pride I said “Goo gah.”
She lay back down and said “Good boy. Now lie back down and go asleep.”
I smiled back and said “Goo goo goo.” and I won’t tell you what that means!
透过婴儿的眼睛
我睁开眼睛，我正仰望天花板。我不知道自己为何盯着那里，但我一直在看，在笑。我踢腿，甩手臂，但并未能因此而更靠近景物。我大喊：“嘎，嘎，嘎啊，咕。”
没有回应。
我抬起头，又倒回去。我仰卧着，从脖子到脚被爸爸塞进毯子里。我想把双臂伸到被子外，但是不知道怎样才能协调进行。自出娘胎后，我就一直在练习，但我还是需要一些时间去适应。
我再次大喊：“咕，咕，妈妈。”
依然没有回应。我不断地蹬踢，挥舞双臂，晃动头脑。我尝试了所有已掌握的动作，仍然无法移动包裹我的温暖的束缚。我再次仰望天花板，那里跟先前一样，没有改变，可那是我能看到的一切。我的两侧有围栏，我的目光可以穿过围栏。但我知道，如果我要那样扭头看的话，准会把我的脖子弄歪的；其实还是天花板好看一点。房间越来越明亮，我就越加清醒，越加烦躁不安。
我又大喊：“妈妈，爸爸，嘎嘎，咕咕。”
仍然没有回应，我不断地踢呀踢，用双臂推。我下定了决心。躺在那里太久了，我不舒服。我一门心思要改变我的位置，噢，好了，终于摆脱了湿湿的尿布。
这次我更大声喊道：“妈妈，妈妈，妈妈”。我感到很失败，只好嘀咕着：“咕，嘎，嘎。”
我仍然尝试挣脱束缚，最后终于奏效了。我的一只手臂可以自由活动了，我可以把手臂伸到头顶上，可以摸自己的嘴巴，鼻子，耳朵，还有身旁的围栏。我可以摸到围栏了。不仅如此，还能抓住它呢。如果我抓住栏杆，同时又踢又摇，会是怎样的呢？我试了，我可以。
我大声欢呼：“嘎嘎，咕咕。”
我不断地踢蹬，摇晃，最后，我的另外一只手臂也自由了。我现在有两个手臂用了，我要好好运用它们。我努力把被子往下推，却无济于事。于是我手抓栏杆，挂在围栏上，如果我的手臂够长，就可以触及另外一端。但是不够长，所以我不能够。我不断地踢呀踢，我灵机一动，我用腿踢，同时用双手推，成功啦。我的束缚越来越松，我可以更自由地活动了。我很温暖，我需要空气，我停止踢蹬，看了一眼天花板，那里没有任何改变。
我最后一次大喊：“嘎嘎，妈妈，爸爸。”
仍然没有回应，只有一个滑稽的噪音从我爸爸鼻子里发出来。我又开始踢蹬了，我有了真正的进展，我开始做一些新的动作。我把被子蹬到湿尿布上。我已经大大的成功了，还可以更成功。当我把被子蹬到脚下时，我感觉棒极了。
我哼着小曲：“嘎嘎咕咕，嘎咕嘎。”
最后我的脚自由了，手臂也自由了。要是现在我可以学会如何站起来就好了。如果我能够双手抓住栏杆把自己拉起来，我就能看到我熟睡的爸爸妈妈，而不是老看着那一成不变的天花板。我终于能翻过身来，我朝各个方向移动着我的腿和手臂，慢慢地我挪到了想去的位置。我真的大有进步了，我决定自己站起来。
我听到从爸妈睡觉的地方传来了一个声音。我竭力想看看是怎么回事，但我的头太重了。我一鼓作气，抓住栏杆。我移动了我的双腿。我抬起头，身体也随之立起。我差不多可以站起来了。
我大喊：“爸爸妈妈！”
没有回应。我朝他们看过去，他们在睡觉。他们在睡觉，而我却站着。在我的生命中，我第一次站起来了，而他们却在熟睡。我必须唤醒他们，让他们看看我。
我大喊：“妈妈，妈妈，嘎啊！”
没有回应，我不知道还能这样站多久。我开始摇晃双腿，围栏跟着摇晃，而且还发出了一些响声。我更使劲地摇晃，我大声喊叫。床上有动静了，我妈妈的头动了，她睁开眼睛。她能看见我如此站起来，我兴奋极了。我朝她微笑，她也向我微笑。
我说：“嘎嘎，咕。”
她渐渐明白了。我可以站起来了！我正站着！我可以站起来！她坐起来，微笑着对我说：“亲爱的，你自己站起来的吗？”
我笑了，很自豪地说：“咕，嘎。”
她躺回去，说道：“好孩子，躺回去，睡觉吧。”
我微笑着对她说：“咕，咕，咕。”我不会告诉你这是什么意思的！
