Juliette had no problem falling asleep after the baby’s birth.
As happy as she was that all went well, she could not overcome the
fatigue and fell asleep before they wheeled her to her room. She
only stirred a moment when they put her into the bed.
Dr. Orson met Henry in the waiting room. Henry was pacing,
wondering when he would hear anything.
“Congratulations! You have a bouncing baby boy!”
“Thank you, Doctor. I couldn't have done it by myself.”
“That's true. Without your wife you probably wouldn't have
had much luck,” the doctor joked.
“How is she?” Henry asked.
“Just fine. She's sleeping right now. Would you like to see the
baby?” the doctor offered.
“Sure! Could you tell me how old he was when he was born?” Henry
seemed confused.
“It's hard to say,” the doctor played along. “We'd have to
take X-rays and study his dental charts first. A lot of
trouble.”
“Well, it really doesn't matter.” Henry continued. “Let's
see him.”
“All right. But I must warn you, he probably won't recognize
you at first. In fact, he may even be frightened. It's
something like a kid first seeing Santa Claus. Ho! Ho! Ho!” the
doctor jested.
“You don't think he'll reject his father, do you?” Henry
asked, concerned.
“No, with luck he'll be asleep. Maybe your wife is awake now.
I'll bring the baby to the room.”
Henry was directed to Juliette’s room, and when he saw her, he
gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Hello, dear. How are you feeling?” he tenderly asked.
Juliette woke up, but was puzzled by her surroundings.
“Just a minute… give me time... I'll get it yet... That's
right. Hi, honey. I thought I'd seen you before.”
Henry let it slide. He knew Juliette had had a tough time.
“The good doctor is going to bring the baby in here.”
“Baby?” Juliette was still confused. She paused, “Oh, that's
right.”
Just then, the doctor entered. “You may find your wife a little
incomprehensible. She was given a pill to help her sleep.”
Henry replied, “I haven't noticed any difference. She just woke
up.”
Juliette interrupted, “I had a dream while I was sleeping.”
Henry quipped, “That's usually when they happen.”
“What was it about?” Dr. Orson asked.
“Well, there we were, the baby and I. But he wasn't a baby; he
was a man! And he was singing!”
“Singing! He can't even talk yet!” Henry observed,
bemusedly.
“Don't be too sure.” Juliette responded, mysteriously.
“What was he singing?” the doctor asked.
“I don't know,” she strained to remember, “but there were a lot
of people there. They all seemed happy. And a strange smell in the
air.”
“How can you smell in a dream?” Henry asked.
“Well, it looked like it smelled funny.” Juliette replied.
“But he wasn’t happy,” she continued, “and he was asking for me to
take a big load off of him.”
“That was some dream!” exclaimed the doctor.
Henry, remembering that he still hadn’t seen his new son, asked “By
the way, where’s the baby?”
The doctor, distracted and confused by Juliette’s dream, replied,
“Baby? Oh, that’s right. Let’s see now. Where is he?”
Dr. Orson left the room mumbling, and Henry and Juliette stared
after him.
Henry returned his attention to Juliette, “I guess the hardest part
is over. We'll be going home in two or three days.”
Juliette replied, “It was worth it. What should we name him?”
Henry offered, “I want to name him ‘I.’"
“Where did you come across a name like that?” Juliette asked,
puzzled.
“It's in the dictionary. Ninth letter of the alphabet.” Henry
declared.
“But why would we choose it as a name?” Juliette prodded.
“I like the sound of it. A nice ring to it, don't you think?”
Henry insisted.
“Hmm,” pondered Juliette, “it's also the Roman Numeral I.
Fitting, for our first and only child.”
“Only?” Henry queried, surprised.
“You don't expect me to go through that again, do you?”
Juliette replied, somewhat indignantly.
“Well, I'm sure it wasn't that bad.” Henry meekly
offered.
“You really have no idea,” Juliette responded resignedly. “Well, I
certainly hope the doctor finds the baby.”
Henry confused at the sudden change of topic, replied “Baby?” He
recovered his senses, and agreed, “Where is the baby? I’m going to
check on him.”
Henry left Juliette, and she continued to ponder the morning’s
event, and the eerie topics explored in her dream. What did it all
mean? Why did she see her new baby as a man, and how did she know
it was him? What harm would come to him?
As she thought about these things, the doctor arrived, carrying
little I.
“Here you go, Mrs. Mall. All cleaned up and shiny!” as the doctor
handed over the baby.
She tenderly cradled him, looking at his tiny face, again wondering
where life would take him.
“Oh, Mrs. Mall,” the doctor interrupted her reverie, “There’s a
television news crew in the hospital looking for some cute stories
to air around Christmastime. I think they’d like to see a newborn
baby. Would you like to see them?”
“Oh, I’m so tired. I’m just not sure.”
“They wouldn’t take too much time, just a few camera shots, and a
short interview.”
“Well, all right. If it’s quick.”
The doctor left her alone to find the TV crew, and Juliette was
getting a bit annoyed that Henry had not returned. When the doctor
came back, Judith Abrey, the California correspondent for I.B.C.
News, accompanied him.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Mall,” greeted Judith, “I’m Judith Abrey,
from I.B.C. News. We’re doing a few stories for some upcoming
Christmas shows.”
“Yes, the doctor told me about it. What do you want me to
do?”
“We’d like to get some film of your baby, you and your husband and
talk a bit about what it’s like to raise a family in the world
today.”
“My husband is away at the moment, but feel free to film us now
before the baby wakes up. I’m afraid he’ll start to cry and spoil
the interview.”
“Oh that all right, ma’am, a crying baby is the least of our
problems when we do the news. People understand that babies
cry.”
The cameraman started filming, as Judith began asking a few
questions. “We’ll have to get started, as I’m on a deadline.
Perhaps your husband will be joining us soon?”
“He’s been gone awhile,” Juliette stated, concerned. “He should
have already been here. He still hasn’t seen his son.”
Looking at her watch, Judith decided to begin the interview. “Your
son is born at yet another turning point in America. Our new
President is about to finish his first year in office, the war is
not ten years gone, and now we are sending soldiers to fight again
in a foreign country. Communists are being found all over our own
country. We live in constant fear of The Bomb. How can a baby
coming into this world survive?”
“Those are some pretty negative thoughts for a Christmas story,”
Juliette mused. “Can’t we talk about something a little
lighter?”
“You’re right, of course,” Judith apologized. “I guess it’s the
reporter in me trying to get to the facts. Let’s start again: I’m
told that your baby’s name is I. That’s quite unusual? Why?”
“It was my husband’s idea, but I quickly came to accept it. I like
to think of I as my Number I. Or perhaps it could represent “I” for
Important. I had a dream that he was going to be an important
figure,” Juliette explained.
“But don’t you think a name like that will cause him to seek out
his own importance, trying to live up to it?” Judith asked.
“My son is destined for importance,” Judith insisted. “I can feel
it with every part of my body.”
“How do you…”
Judith was interrupted as I awoke and began to cry. Juliette, tried
to comfort him, and his crying subsided. He began to babble when,
clearly audible, the words “Rock and Roll” came from his mouth.
Both Juliette and Judith gasped.
“Kevin,” exclaimed Juliette to the cameraman, “please tell me you
got that on film!”
Kevin nodded and continued filming, but I fell silent, then fell
asleep again.
The excitement in the room began to grow, and the doctor suggested
“Let me take your son back to the nursery. All this noise will not
be good for him.”
The doctor picked up I and exited the room. Judith turned again to
Juliette.
“Those were words. I could have sworn that’s what I heard! But this
baby is not even a day old. How is that possible?”
“I told you he is destined for importance,” Juliette replied. “He
is my special boy.”
Judith asked a few more questions, but had a hard time
concentrating. “I’ve really got to get this back to the studio.
This I something that could even go on the National News!”
As the news crew began gathering up their equipment, Dr. Orson
returned. “I’ve just left your son back in the nursery. He was
laughing and cooing. I suppose he might even be telling jokes to
some of the other little ones.” He chuckled.
“Is your husband still gone?” he continued.
“He mumbled something and took off just before the TV crew arrived.
Probably went to the coffee shop downstairs. I’m a bit concerned,
though.”
“I'm really delighted that I was here to witness it. You must
be very proud of your new son,” the doctor declared.
“Indeed I am. His father will be sorry he missed it. When can I see
the baby again?”
“I'll bring him back, if you'd like,” he said as he
left.
A few moments later, Henry returned.
“Where have you been?” asked Juliette, edgily. “You missed the big
moment.”
“You know I couldn’t be there,” Henry replied defensively. “I had
to stay in the waiting room.”
“Not that big moment! I.B.C. was here!” Juliette exclaimed.
“I.B.C.? Something wrong?” Henry asked, concerned.
“Better you see it yourself. It’s almost six o’ clock. Turn on the
news.” Juliette suggested.
Henry looked around the room. “Where’s the boy? I still haven’t
seen him yet.”
“The doctor is bring him back from the nursery. Oh, here he is
now!”
Dr. Orson entered, holding I, and Henry called out “Hi there,
Tiger!”
“Please, Mr. Mall, only my wife calls me that,” the doctor
jested.
Juliette interrupted the joking. “We’ve just turned on the
news.”
“Mind if I stay and watch?” the doctor inquired.
“Please do,” although Henry was confused a bit by the doctor’s
curiosity. “What’s going to be on?”
“Just watch and see,” said Juliette, excitedly.
The familiar I.B.C. logo appeared on the screen, and Hardy
Rochester appeared in shadow. The announcer began: “Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen, this is the six o'clock edition of the
I.B.C. news with Hardy Rochester, brought to you each evening by
Fender Guitars. ‘With a Fender you'll never bend your
ears.’"
Henry always pined a little when he heard that introduction. He
still hadn’t gotten over his yearning for the Fender bass guitar.
In his reverie, he didn’t notice that Hardy had announced a special
event that was taking place in California. The film being shown was
of the very hospital they were in.
“Henry! Pay attention,” Juliette prodded, as she noticed Henry’s
inattention.
Henry returned his attention to the screen as the story revealed
local reporter Judith Abrey along with Juliette and I.
“We’re here today with Juliette Mall and her newborn son I. We’ve
just witnessed something that is simply miraculous, I know that I’d
never seen anything like it before. This little wonder boy has
already spoken his first words.”
The broadcast cut over to a close-up of I as he uttered “Rock and
Roll” and the stunned silence was quickly replaced by gasped and
excited murmurings.
“You’ve clearly heard the baby’s own first words, and at only hours
old,” as Judith returned. “This is Judith Abrey, reporting from
California.”
“Thank you, Judith,” as the broadcast returned to Hardy Rochester,
also barely able to contain his own excitement. “That’s December
third. Goodnight.”
They turned off the TV and Henry stood there, stunned, for a few
moments, trying to understand what he’d just seen.
“No! I won't believe it! A three-hour old baby just doesn't
talk,” he exclaimed.
“Well, this one does. Both the doctor and myself distinctly heard
something.” She looked at the baby tenderly. “He surely must be
something special. If you hadn't been out of the room you would
have heard it, too,” Juliette chided.
“I couldn't help that I had to go to the men's room. ‘When
nature calls, don't ignore it.’ I always say,” Henry defended
himself.
“You always say a lot of things. Why don't you try thinking
once in a while?” Juliette joked.
Henry ignored her comment and turned to the doctor. “Maybe the kid
is special, but that doesn't mean he can talk. What's your
opinion, doctor?”
Dr. Orson reflected, “If I hadn’t witnessed it myself, I’d say it
sounds like what I've read in my studies. Just baby
talk.”
Juliette jumped in, “This was not baby talk! I think he was trying
to tell us something. A mother's intuition tells me he's
already chosen his direction in life.”
Henry glared at her. “Hold it! Hold it! You mean to tell me you got
all that out of three words?”
“Not just three words, the manner in which they were spoken
suggested...” Juliette began.
“We haven't even agreed that he can talk and he's already
given a speech. Next you'll be telling me he's running for
president!” Henry blurted out.
“Don't be silly, I wouldn't go that far. I'm just
saying that he seemed to know what he was talking about.” Juliette
tried to bring some reason to the conversation.
Henry was puzzled. “But ‘Rock and Roll’ doesn't have much
meaning as I see it.”
“That's just it,” continued Juliette. “It's definitely a
new concept. If you could imagine all the notions churning around
in this child's head,” she paused a moment, turning a tender
gaze back to I, “it must have meaning to him.”
Henry turned to the doctor. “I think she's going delirious.
Maybe a sedative?” he prescribed.
“No, I don't think so. I've read of cases like this in
medical journals. A woman, having been one with the child for some
nine months, can sense the thoughts of the infant, and when he is
born, she acts as spokesman. Naturally, the three words spoken,
whether or not by accident, must have some deep psychological
meaning,” the doctor lectured.
Henry observed, “That's all fine and good, but what does he
mean by ‘Rock and Roll’?”
The doctor replied, “I have a feeling it's got something to do
with gem tumbling. I've read in lapidary magazines...”
Juliette was frustrated with the direction the conversation was
taking. “You've both got rocks in your heads. That's a new
term for the kind of music they've started to play lately. You
know, the songs with the bouncy beat.”
Juliette had noticed that music was changing as she listened to her
radio while waiting for this big day. As she reflected internally,
she felt that that change just might be centered on little I,
though she wasn’t sure how.