The baby was crying its head off yet the young man sat still as a rock staring at the baby. He had a terrified look on his face almost as if he was helpless and did not know what to do. I assumed he was the baby's father. They had the same light tan complexion and high nose.
"What is the baby's name?" I asked politely. The young man signaled the secretary to leave the room before answering me.
"Lei Wei."
"Is it okay with you if I hold him?" I asked. Lei Wei's father nodded his head and immediately handed me the baby. I held him in my arms and felt his forehead. Normal temperature. I checked his diaper, it was dry.
"When did you last feed him?" I asked. The young father shrugged and counted his fingers.
"Where is his bottle?" I asked. The young father pointed to a bag next to the table. I opened the bag and looked inside. Empty bottles. There was a container of baby formula but no spoon.
"Can you hand me a cup please?" I asked waiting. The young father pushed a number on his desk phone.
"Yes, Mr. Cheng?" It was the secretary.
"Bring me a clean cup."
A few seconds later, the secretary walked in and handed him a clean cup.
"Anything else?" She asked.
"Wait a sec please." I said, quickly I poured some powder into the cup and transferred it into the empty bottle making sure that I had the measurement correct.
"Please add warm water...just to this line." I handed the bottle to the secretary.
"Do as she ask." The young man ordered.
The secretary nodded and left.
Lei Wei had stopped crying. I was gently rocking him back and forth and answering his baby talk with my own baby talk.
I heard him making cooing voices and giggling. I held him up against me and smiled. Little Lei Wei smiled back mimicking my facial expression.
"How many months is he?" I asked.
"Six months."
"Aww....cutie pie, did you hear that? You're half way to being one years old! Aren't you just so excited?" I said in a high pitch voice and snuggled him. Lei Wei giggled and started a string of baby babbling.
"You sure have a lot to say, what a day this must have been for you!" I nodded as if in agreement with his baby gibberish. The secretary came back in and handed me the bottle.
"Here you go, you hungry little precious you." I said, little Lei Wei quickly grab hold of the bottle. He was obviously very hungry.
I sat down with Lei Wei in my arms. Somehow he took hold of one of my finger and wouldn't let go. What a beautiful baby!
"What is your name?" Lei Wei's father asked.
"Ariel Lin, and you?" I asked.
Instead of answering me, he handed me the baby's bag and said,
"Take him home with you today. You're hired."
"What?" I asked confused.
"I hired you to be Lei Wei's nanny as of today. This is a twenty-four hours job which means he has to be with you at all time. So take him to your home and I'll go see him later."
"But...but...where is his mother?" I asked.
"She's dead."
"Oh." I didn't know what to say.
"I think it's best if he stay with his father...I can care for him while you are working but he needs to be with you too." I advised.
"His father is in prison."
I was wrong in assuming Mr. Cheng was the father.
"How is Lei Wei related to you?" I asked.
"His mother was my sister."
Things was starting to make a little more sense. Not quite sure what to do, I picked up the baby's bag and with the baby in my arms left the building. I...have a baby...
"What is the baby's name?" I asked politely. The young man signaled the secretary to leave the room before answering me.
"Lei Wei."
"Is it okay with you if I hold him?" I asked. Lei Wei's father nodded his head and immediately handed me the baby. I held him in my arms and felt his forehead. Normal temperature. I checked his diaper, it was dry.
"When did you last feed him?" I asked. The young father shrugged and counted his fingers.
"Where is his bottle?" I asked. The young father pointed to a bag next to the table. I opened the bag and looked inside. Empty bottles. There was a container of baby formula but no spoon.
"Can you hand me a cup please?" I asked waiting. The young father pushed a number on his desk phone.
"Yes, Mr. Cheng?" It was the secretary.
"Bring me a clean cup."
A few seconds later, the secretary walked in and handed him a clean cup.
"Anything else?" She asked.
"Wait a sec please." I said, quickly I poured some powder into the cup and transferred it into the empty bottle making sure that I had the measurement correct.
"Please add warm water...just to this line." I handed the bottle to the secretary.
"Do as she ask." The young man ordered.
The secretary nodded and left.
Lei Wei had stopped crying. I was gently rocking him back and forth and answering his baby talk with my own baby talk.
I heard him making cooing voices and giggling. I held him up against me and smiled. Little Lei Wei smiled back mimicking my facial expression.
"How many months is he?" I asked.
"Six months."
"Aww....cutie pie, did you hear that? You're half way to being one years old! Aren't you just so excited?" I said in a high pitch voice and snuggled him. Lei Wei giggled and started a string of baby babbling.
"You sure have a lot to say, what a day this must have been for you!" I nodded as if in agreement with his baby gibberish. The secretary came back in and handed me the bottle.
"Here you go, you hungry little precious you." I said, little Lei Wei quickly grab hold of the bottle. He was obviously very hungry.
I sat down with Lei Wei in my arms. Somehow he took hold of one of my finger and wouldn't let go. What a beautiful baby!
"What is your name?" Lei Wei's father asked.
"Ariel Lin, and you?" I asked.
Instead of answering me, he handed me the baby's bag and said,
"Take him home with you today. You're hired."
"What?" I asked confused.
"I hired you to be Lei Wei's nanny as of today. This is a twenty-four hours job which means he has to be with you at all time. So take him to your home and I'll go see him later."
"But...but...where is his mother?" I asked.
"She's dead."
"Oh." I didn't know what to say.
"I think it's best if he stay with his father...I can care for him while you are working but he needs to be with you too." I advised.
"His father is in prison."
I was wrong in assuming Mr. Cheng was the father.
"How is Lei Wei related to you?" I asked.
"His mother was my sister."
Things was starting to make a little more sense. Not quite sure what to do, I picked up the baby's bag and with the baby in my arms left the building. I...have a baby...