From Chapter 7-Naked Barbie Dolls or GI Joe
Saturday, August 23, 2008
On this brilliantly sunny morning, while dog Jura and I were walking about Cohasset environs and strolling near Atlantic Avenue shoreline, I spotted Derek Griffin, the property manager who works with Jared and Elissa. He was driving a midsize truck. Dayea Valencia, one Reagan family housekeeper and babysitter, was sitting on the passenger side of the truck front seat and holding two-year-old Rylan. After veering off to the right side of the road, Derek slowly and steadily stopped the truck, aside Jura and me.
Smiling and rolling down the right-side window in the truck front seat, Dayea raised Rylan toward me and greeted me. He was holding a naked Barbie doll in one hand; he does this regularly. Sometimes Rylan carries two naked Barbie dolls, he grasps one of the two dolls in each hand. Derek suddenly said, “I think I’m going to buy him a GI Joe doll soon.” Dayea and I burst into laughter.
As Ms. Valencia lifted and passed Rylan to me, he grasped me firmly and gently around the neck, using both arms. Holding him for several minutes before returning him to Dayea was delightful. Two-year-old Rylan is joyful, good-humored, and thoughtful. He regularly expresses gratitude, saying “Thank you.”