Today is one of those days.
You see, every morning since Maegan started going over to her grandma's for the day, I would carry out our normal routine.
We all wake up in the morning to the loud yells of Maegan wanting to come out and play. Thereafter after breakfast, I'll drive Daphne to her office before sending Maegan to her grandma's place where she will be treated like a queen and eat everything daddy says no to. (seems that in the realm of grandparents, parents lose almost all rights to their children, especially when they are working) and then I head for my meetings or to the office.
That's the routine for almost 11 months now.
All these while, Daphne and I always wondered when Maegan will finally realise that we are going to work and that she wouldn't get to see us until evening time.
We're told that babies don't have the concept of time until almost a year old and the inevitable time seems to be coming where she will not want us to leave for work.
You see, for the last 11 months, we were starting to wonder if she is at all concerned if we were leaving for work. Sometimes parents go through this inferiority complex where our daughter don't seem to want us around. But we always had an excuse each time she turns away from the door to her toys without flinching an eyelid. All these while, we were patient and we believed, the time will come when she grows older.
That day was today. The day where our daughter showed the first sign of crossing the great divide of babyhood to toddlerhood. Today was the day where she makes her point known that she wants her parent to be around.
Like every morning sending Daphne to work, Daphne would say goodbye to Maeagan and give her a big goodbye kiss. Unexpectedly, Maegan wailed almost instantaneously, not wanting her mummy to leave. It was one of those cries that says "Don't leave me mummy". But mummy has to work comes the reply and its heart wrenching stuff that deserves to be on the tele.
In the midst of her crying, I drove to her grandma's preparing for the inevitable that I will have to go through the same torment as my wife. It's hard you know, to leave for work when you baby cries like that.
So reaching grandma's home, I made it a point to carry her and bring her up. Fairly quickly and on cue, she jumps off my arms into that of her grandma's and smiled with the hugest smile. One that says I'm with my best friend now and I can do whatever I want.
Still waiting for the inevitable, I said to my lovely daughter "Okay, daddy's going to work. Enjoy your day ok?" and gave her a huge kiss while half waiting for the same cry to come.
Waiting ...
Waiting ...
Little Miss Maegan looked at me, smiled and simply waved goodbye.
There you have it. A bitter sweet experience of being dad that every guy should go through.
I still can't believe it.
All I got was a wave.
