{"id":2301,"date":"2020-08-17T01:11:15","date_gmt":"2020-08-17T01:11:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/?p=2301"},"modified":"2020-08-17T16:58:15","modified_gmt":"2020-08-17T16:58:15","slug":"storytime-covid-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/storytime-covid-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Storytime, COVID-style"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>A drama in one act<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>The scene<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><em>Location No. 1<\/em>:\u00a0 A 7-year-old girl\u2019s bedroom at about 7:45 p.m.\u00a0 The room is captured in the screen camera\u2019s eye and beamed over the ether to another screen miles away, via the technology that is re-defining communication and relationships in the era of COVID.\u00a0 Child is leaning back against a rumpled mass of pillows, facing the camera, and the lovely pink flowered coverlet is only visible in one tiny triangle in lower left.\u00a0She is, at least as the scene opens, under a tangle of various layers of covers, accompanied by a large purple bunny squeezed under her left arm, only one, long narrow flop-ear exposed, dangling on top of the covers like a tie adorning a dress shirt.\u00a0\u00a0 Presumably there is a white dog sharing the bed; only his foot is visible, lower right.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>Location No. 2, simultaneously shown:<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0The home office of this child\u2019s grandmother.\u00a0 A stack of children\u2019s books stands at the ready on the work table next to her laptop.\u00a0 Lighting has been carefully arranged to illuminate the pages of the books she will hold up to the camera, but not too bright, because it is bedtime, after all.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>The characters<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sis<\/strong>, the aforementioned 7-year-old girl, who has eagerly accepted her grandmother\u2019s offer to read her a bedtime story via FaceTime.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Buddy<\/strong>, her 9-year-old brother. Possibly thinks this activity is beneath his age, having largely outgrown his taste for little kids\u2019 books. He is too kindly to say so in front of his grandmother or sister.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The mother<\/strong> of these children, who plays a role in tech support but does not appear.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The grandmother of these children<\/strong>, aka G-ma, or Evie, who routinely would never refer to herself as a desperate woman. \u00a0And yet, she is missing these children so fiercely that she wants to give this strange scenario a legitimate shot.<\/li>\n<li>A patient, quiet, white and black terrier mix dog named <strong>Sam<\/strong>, who never gets far from the children.<\/li>\n<li>A frenetic but supremely devoted brindle terrier mix named <strong>Grace<\/strong> with the delicate presence of an offensive lineman protecting the blind side in overtime of the Super Bowl.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The scene opens as FaceTime connects and G-ma\u2019s face lights up at the sight of the child.\u00a0 Her brother is not visible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>G-ma (<\/strong>brightly):\u00a0 Hi, precious!\u00a0 I\u2019m SO glad to see you.\u00a0 Let\u2019s pick out a book to read.<\/p>\n<p>(G-ma holds up a couple of options to the camera. The child is squirming, possibly in anticipation, possibly impatience, possibly both. She sits forward in affirmation and points at the screen when it shows her the cover of the classic <em>Where the Wild Things Are<\/em>.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>G-ma<\/strong> continues:\u00a0 This one?\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get started.\u00a0 Where\u2019s your brother?\u00a0 Does he want to hear this?\u00a0 Buddy, are you there?\u00a0 (Hoping to involve both, she speaks to the child she can\u2019t see.). Do you like this story, too?<\/p>\n<p>(A second face appears on screen, extreme close-up but completely sideways, visible only from the eyeballs up.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Buddy<\/strong> (non-committal but polite tone):\u00a0 Yeah, but I\u2019ve read it multitudes of times already.<\/p>\n<p><strong>G-ma<\/strong> (flummoxed by this mastery of vocabulary from the sideways, partial face):\u00a0 Did you say <em>multitudes<\/em>?\u00a0 Is that what you said?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Buddy<\/strong>:\u00a0 Yeah!\u00a0 Multitudes.\u00a0 But it\u2019s OK.\u00a0 You can read it to Sis.\u00a0 (He drops back onto the pillow next to his sister, close enough to be about half visible, then noticeably hoists his own book, his face disappearing behind it.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sis<\/strong> (pushing her brother farther away from her on the bed, to gain space and reject his response):\u00a0 Go! Evie, read!<\/p>\n<p>(G-ma begins the old favorite story, turning the pages slowly, twisting in various contortions, attempting to see, while reading, if the pages are visible to the watching child. Striving to keep her audience on the hook, she displays the page where the protagonist is sent to his room for misbehavior)<\/p>\n<p><strong>G-ma<\/strong>\u00a0:\u00a0 Can you see this?\u00a0 Look at him making that face.\u00a0 What do you think he\u2019s mad at?<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2305 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/XluqA0aRSU6tc2qEwiWBw-scaled-e1597626465810-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/XluqA0aRSU6tc2qEwiWBw-scaled-e1597626465810-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/XluqA0aRSU6tc2qEwiWBw-scaled-e1597626465810-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/XluqA0aRSU6tc2qEwiWBw-scaled-e1597626465810-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/XluqA0aRSU6tc2qEwiWBw-scaled-e1597626465810-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/XluqA0aRSU6tc2qEwiWBw-scaled-e1597626465810-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/XluqA0aRSU6tc2qEwiWBw-scaled-e1597626465810-1500x1125.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/XluqA0aRSU6tc2qEwiWBw-scaled-e1597626465810-705x529.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Buddy<\/strong> (without lowering his own book, apparently watching over the top of it):\u00a0 He\u2019s mad because\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sis<\/strong> (shoving him again and interrupting):\u00a0 Stop!\u00a0 You aren\u2019t even reading with us.\u00a0 Go on, Evie. (She turns her back to her brother, propelling herself hard enough to dislodge the position of the laptop, which is now displaying the tranquil bed scene at a 45-degree angle.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>G-ma<\/strong> (uncertain whether to just tilt her own head or request tech support):\u00a0 You knocked the laptop, sweetie.\u00a0 Straighten it back up so I don\u2019t get dizzy looking at you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sis<\/strong>:\u00a0 Oh, sorry!\u00a0 (She leans forward to correct the issue but suddenly vanishes, while the screen is filled by the torso of the amber-and-black brindle dog, who has leapt onto the bed and into the action.).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sis, Buddy, and their mother<\/strong> (simultaneously, shouting out of view):\u00a0 GRACE! \u00a0GET OFF THE BED!<\/p>\n<p>(Pause.\u00a0 Scrambled audio.\u00a0 G-ma waits, uncertain whether to proceed, thinking this has not gone well.\u00a0 Perhaps it\u2019s too much for the kids to focus in this scenario.\u00a0 They are too young\/not interested\/just humoring me.\u00a0 Maybe this was more about me, G-ma wonders regretfully.\u00a0 Meanwhile, brindle torso flashes on past and ejects itself out of sight.\u00a0 Grandchildren again visible on camera.\u00a0 Action resumes.\u00a0 Soon, G-ma announces the conclusion is nigh.)<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2304 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-225x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-769x1024.jpeg 769w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-768x1022.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-1154x1536.jpeg 1154w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-1539x2048.jpeg 1539w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-1127x1500.jpeg 1127w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-530x705.jpeg 530w, https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/IMG_3525-scaled.jpeg 1923w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>G-ma<\/strong>:\u00a0 Almost done here, guys.\u00a0 Here\u2019s our last page.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sis<\/strong> (interrupting, directs question to her mother, off camera):\u00a0 Mom, can we do this again?\u00a0 Cause I really like it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mother<\/strong> (off camera):\u00a0 Sure, if Evie wants to.<\/p>\n<p>(G-ma reads last page, closes the book.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>G-ma<\/strong> (smiling fondly into camera):\u00a0 Great!\u00a0 That was fun.\u00a0 I love\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Buddy<\/strong> (leaning face sideways into view again, before his grandmother can finish):\u00a0 Thanks! Bye!<\/p>\n<p>(Screen abruptly goes dark.\u00a0 In the ensuing silence, G-ma stares for a second at the black space where the children just were, and then at the cover of the book.\u00a0 She wonders if anything every goes the way it is so brilliantly shown in the grandparenting magazines, with their articles on \u201c10 Ways to Stay Close to Grandkids During COVID.\u201d\u00a0 She doubts it. But knowing she got one vote in favor, she decides to declare victory as she switches off the light.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>THE END<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A drama in one act The scene \u00a0Location No. 1:\u00a0 A 7-year-old girl\u2019s bedroom at about 7:45 p.m.\u00a0 The room is captured in the screen camera\u2019s eye and beamed over the ether to another screen miles away, via the technology that is re-defining communication and relationships in the era of COVID.\u00a0 Child is leaning back [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7],"tags":[158,163,161,162],"class_list":["post-2301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grandkids","category-humor","tag-covid-19","tag-families-and-covid","tag-grandkids-and-covid-19","tag-reading-to-grandkids"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2301"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2301\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}