Soap Dope

Seriously, I will continue with all the goings on of the New Mexico trip ... just not today.

Scene
Bathtub, mid-day

Characters
Rain & Grandma Dowdel

Act I: The Meeting

Dowdel (Furiously scrubs with washcloth): I'm sorry there aren't any toys to play with today, Rainbow, but Mommy is in a hurry. We're going to be late to meet the realtor, so no time for toys. Sorry.

Rain (Looks bored. Attempts to try out her sea legs, though the slippery tub is an insurance claim waiting to happen): Ohhhh, ohhhh. Oh.

Dowdel (Pours more overpriced baby body soap onto washcloth) : If you'd stay still a second, this would go a lot faster, you know.

Rain (Cruises along side of tub. Smiles. Spots bar of soap, dry and safe in soap dish): Oh!

Act II: The Set-Up

Dowdel: Rain, leave it alone, please.

Rain (Pushes towards soap)

Dowdel: There's no point, I'm telling you. Remember last time when you & Syrene tried to play with the soap in the tub? It was too slippery to catch, and ... (Pause. Dowdel reconsiders, remembering how funny it was to watch. Baby kept Dowdel up 4 nights prior with teething cries; Dowdel figures baby owes her a laugh.)

Rain (Unsure of how to proceed. Will Dowdel stop her?)

Act III: Soap Dope

Dowdel: No, Rain, leave the soap alone. (Dowdel read parenting book last night, and with guilt, remembers chapter on consistency & discipline.)

Rain (Moves toward soap)

Dowdel: Fine, go ahead. I'm low on laughs, and there's nothing more I'd like to see than for you to pointlessly try to grab at the soap, just like I pointlessly try to get you to go back to sleep at 6 in the morning.

Rain (Reaches for soap)

Dowdel: Go on.

Rain grabs soap (Dowdel forgot soap is, in fact, bone dry), and plops it easily into her mouth.

Frantic digging ensues.