Charles Shelton Interview

The air temperature dipped so low this morning it snowed for a brief time. Charlie and I ran from the car to a giant indoor rummage sale. We stuck our tongues out the entire way. The gray skies and rain now keep us indoors. This is as good an opportunity as I am going to get to interview my son. I offer him a seat in a gingham green and white chair across from me. He refuses. I am in his element. Of course, everywhere is his. He stands next to the crowded bookshelf, eyeing the spines.

"I see you have quite a collection of books. Is there one book that has influenced more than others?"

"Wyoming. Wyoming. Wyoming."

"Wyoming? I don't recall that one. What is Wyoming about?

"Mommy. Wyoming. Preschool." Jill took a plane to Wyoming this morning for work. She returns tomorrow night. Charlie has playschool tomorrow morning. I am not as nervous as I was last time.

"Preschool? Tell me more."

Charlie ignores me and sits down. "Socks off." Charlie is not the typical interviewee. His responses make Joaquin Phoenix seem normal.

"Socks or bare feet?" I ask.

"Pear. Pray. Ah-ha. Thought. Sit." Charlie wanders into the dining room and begins to push a toy truck along the floor. He rams it into the wall. I try to engage him.

"Hot or cold?"

"Cold."

"Oranges or apples?"

"Apples."

"Boys or girls?"

Charlie takes a long pause.

"Boys or girls?" I ask again.

No answer.

"Who is your best friend in the whole world?"

Something has his attention. "Aunt Jackie!" He bellows. There is no uncertainty.

"Do you have any mortal enemies?"

"Memeny?"

On to something else. "Hardwood floors or carpet?"

"Carpet."

"Inside or outside?"

"Outside. Outside. Out. Side."

"Do you have any plans for the future?"

"Future?"

"Like tomorrow. What are you going to do tomorrow?"

"Papa."

Charlie begins to push a Hotwheel car across the floor. It is a Mitsubishi Eclipse. He uses his body to push the car. His body lunges forward farther than the car.

"Where is your favorite place to go?"

"Ni hau!" He must be thinking about the Shanghai Kitchen restaurant next to the Ebay store. When it's nice outside we love to stroll down the strip mall.

"How many languages do you speak?"

"Five minutes. English. English."

"Do you speak any other languages besides English?"

"Wyoming."

"Why is Wyoming so important to you?"

"Wyoming. Truck."

"What has been the impact of technology on society?"

"Think. I love chocolate." He responds.

"What will the world be like in thirty years?" I ask.

He pulls at strands of carpet.

"What is your favorite poem?"

"Po-em. Ulalume."

"What is your favorite book?"

"Ulalume."

"What do you like about Ulalume?"

"Sober." The first line of Ulalume ends in sober. The skies they were ashen and sober.

"What are your thoughts on global warming?"

"Wyoming. I think so."

"I'll give you one word and you give me a one word response, okay?"

"Okay."

"Daddy?"

"Paper."

"Mommy?"

"Please."

"Grandma?"

"Grandpa. Operator. Tell you."

I remind him I only need a one word reply. We continue.

"Gigi?"

"Move the cord!"

"Gigi?"

"Papa?"

He tugs at the waistband of his diaper. "Do you need a new diaper?" He does not respond.

"Who do you love?"

"Courtney! Puppies." Courtney is the babysitter. Charlie loves Courtney.

"If you were going to be shipwrecked on an island, what would you take with you?"

"Diaper bag. Fort Collins." Gigi and Papa live in Fort Collins.

"Are you ready for your nap?"

"Nooooo!" I didn't expect any other answer there.

"Tell me about the park?"

"Truman. Last night. Last night. Last night."

"Do you go to the park very often?"

"Often."

"What do you like to eat?"

"Prunes. Microwave."

With a nap looming we decided to continue the interview with a few more questions over dinner. Charlie watched me fry bacon and scramble eggs from his perch on a mission style chair in the center of our kitchen out of range of the hot popping grease. We experimented with pancake batter. We modified the Bisquick recipe by adding more milk and substituting a portion of mix for cake flour. We watched the pancakes bubble on the griddle surface. To the second trial we added malted milk and powdered sugar. Lastly, we poured in vegetable shortening and more sugar.

We sit down together at the table to enjoy the food and each other's company.

"Where did Mommy go?" I ask.

"Vacation. Hospital. Telephone. Playground. Watch out!"

"What do you watch out for at the playground?"

"Boys."

"You watch out for boys?"

"Girls."

"I see." Charlie bites the edges from a pancake.

"What is your favorite thing about Mommy?"

"Toot." I ask for his confirmation. He confirms.

"About Daddy?"

"Last night."

"What happened last night?"

"Last night. Last night. Last night. What happened? Last night. Come here Charlie. Come here Charlie. Chimpanzee. Chimpanzee. Chimp."

"Did you see a chimpanzee last night?"

"Last night. Done." He picks up his plate from his tray.

"Are you done with your food?"

"Take it. Take it. Everywhere." He hands me his plate.

He picks up the half-eaten pancake and the sippy cup from the tray and places them on the table. He throws the remaining scrambled eggs on the floor. Then he slaps himself on the face.

"Last night." He says.

"Do you remember what happened last night?"

"Last night. Milky and silky. Done. Out. Get out. Help you."

"Okay."

That was end of the interview. I put Charlie into a one piece pajama outfit since it is so chilly in his room and readied his bottle. Under dimmed lighting, Charlie and I wound down on the couch. Charlie sucked on the bottle and fingered his blanket Silky. I read poems, Ulalume and The Bells. Staring at the lights, we sang softly "Jesus Loves Me", "Edelweiss" and the "Dukes of Hazard" theme song.

After each reading and song he removed the nipple from his lips, smiled and said, "Like it."

"I like it too." I said running my fingers through his hair. I thought how similar his hair is to the girl, Bella, who we met at the Botanic Gardens. "I like it too." I repeated.