Act 2, Scene 11: “Cool Town”

It was D, the nanny’s, last day, and C was up from his nap, sitting in his highchair drinking some weight-giving PediaSure vanilla flavor (tastes like a milk shake with 10 scoops of additional sweetener). He was watching D while she browned the meat for a shepard’s pie she was making in the attempt to use up various ingredients in the refrigerator and insure that they boys did not starve at least for the first several days of her absence. She is going back to college and the boys start day care next week. TRL will have them an additional day, for a total of two days of father-sons extreme bonding.

Watching the cooking channel, I see, TRL says to C. He grabs a RedBull from the refrigerator, clinks with C’s PediaSure, and has a sip. Need the energy, he tells D.

C starts pointing to the counter and starts whining.

If you could verbalize, you would get what you want faster, TRL tells C, though immediately recognizing the fallacy of his words. He has been vocalizing his desires for years.

C whines more insistently.

Chillage in the Village, D says, and hands C a box of crackers. He immediately chillages.

TRL giggles. Chillage in the Village, he repeats. I like it.

Later that night: Chillage in the Village, S.

Where did you get that?

It’s what all the hip college set kids are saying. D said it.

Five minutes later: Chillage in the Village.

S: If this is a theme, get it out of your system now because it is going to grow tiresome. I will have to call D up and yell at her.

TRL: Hey S, Pillage in the Village.

S smiles faintly.

The next day: C and E fuss and cry as TRL and S change their diapers in the morning. Guys, Chillage in the Village.

OK, that’s one, says S. You have two more today, and that’s it.

Oh S, you need a village chillage.

TRL pauses a beat.

That one doesn’t count. It’s different.

S ignores him.

TRL begins to say the phrase quietly, so only he can hear, though S knows what he is up to. He is banned the whole day from whispering to himself .