Bab-O eyes

Dad has taken a new step down his end-of-life staircase.  It is increasingly difficult for him to eat, drink, or clear secretions from his throat.  He holds his skeletal limbs in rigid poses to avoid the discomfort of movement.  His eyes look off into the far distant reaches of the galaxy.  His eyes... yes, it is the ... hmmm.  What is it exactly that is signalling the change?  Dad's eyes look just like my playmate's Tiny Tears doll's eyes after she scrubbed them with Bab-O.

Nurturing is so very out of style.  Kids of either gender do not rock or cuddle baby dolls.  Their parents are too young to remember a time of gritty cleaning products without tiny squirting dancing foam globules on t.v. ads.

"My mom is better than your mom" my playmate taunted.  "My mom uses Bab-O, NOT Comet!"

My playmate was jealous of the bright eyes on my Tiny Tears doll.  She had given her Tiny Tears a good scrubbing with Bab-O, and her dolly had weird gray unfocused eyes ever after unhappily.

Dad has those same weird gray unfocused Bab-O eyes.

© 2011 Nancy L. Ruder