Around 11:25 am this morning, Paul and I finally set off for Pleasanton, to return 3-year-old Paulie, or Little Paul, to his parents and older sister.
Big Paul was our designated driver, while I was sitting in the back seat with the Little Paul who seemed to know that it was the last day for his two months' stay in Santa Cruz. Just as he would do during our daily walk, he bid farewell through the car window to the passing airplanes, houses, pedestrians and vehicles. Unlike his usual cheerful self, he appeared serious and solemn all the way, until Highway 17's sharp twists and turns upset his stomach so much, that he burst into cries and a bit of car-sickness.
Luckily I had in my purse two Ty Beanie teddy bears. Comforted by the soft Peace Bear, Paulie finally stopped crying and started to clutch his old companion, one of his five cuddly sleeping buddies. He was pleasantly surprised when given the brown Beanie Bear a short while later. Looking at his happy face, I could not help thinking of the simple truth that all things were created for a purpose. In the late part of the 1990s, I bought nearly a hundred Beanie Babies as a hobby for collectibles. Since the fad died down, some Beanies have been given away as baby gifts, some put in a box stored in the garage, and some others have languished in the display case, until Paulie came along. Peering though the glass after his first arrival, he couldn't believe his eyes and wanted to have them all.
Over an hour later, Paul pulled along our son Nick's curbside. He and his wife Lee Anne smilingly appeared, and released their little boy from his car seat. "Paulie is back home!" Thus Paul and I completed our two-month childcare mission.
Since the Covid-19 Pandemic, public schools have been shut down until very recently, while the private ones have offered only limited hours which severely interfered with working parents' schedules. For this reason, Paulie came to live with us beginning on January fourth this year. For two months, Paul was a full time butler, feeding his namesake grandson, and putting him to bed both for naps and for the night, while stimulating his mind with books, words, and exercise during the day. In the background, I was a half-time cook and cleaner.
It is truly a rich experience to be reacquainted with the innocence of a three-year-old child, through whose eyes we have gained a fresh knowledge of Santa Cruz, its intimate neighborhood, open ocean, beach, enchanting flowers, plants, trees, and friendly people. Paulie's undiluted love for both people and animals is devoid of biases. He would say Hi to all passersby, including the sullen ones who could not help themselves but stop to smile and greet back. He would be full of joy at seeing every bird, cat, dog, and squirrel in sight. Even a raccoon statue in a yard did not escape his observation at Rodriquez and Capitola Road Extension. His daily admiration for the statue was such that the very house owner(s) moved the raccoon from inside the yard to the edge of road. Little have they realized that the fervid admirer is back home in Pleasanton!
