BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE behaviour of a 10-month-old boy had attracted the attention of a group of visitors to St. Kitts so much so that his mother and grandfather did not have to pay for a sumptuous birthday dinner at one of the island’s exquisite eating houses.
Shauna, a resident of St. Peters, was on Monday evening (Sept. 30) taken by her father to Marshall’s in Frigate Bay to celebrate her birth anniversary.
The celebratory event was planned for the Marriott but her father decided on a change of venue. However, Shauna, unable to locate her babysitter at that time, had to take her 10-month-old son along with them to the celebratory occasion.
Shauna explained that she had walked with two of her baby’s bottles filled with fruit juice, but after placing their order and the waitress had brought their beverages and rested them on the table, the 10-month-old glanced at her, stared his mother and grandfather in the eyes and quickly tried to grab one of the glasses.
Assuming that he was thirsty, Shauna went into her bag and took out one of the infant’s bottled juice and gave it to him. He placed the bottle to the tip of his lips but did not consume the contents.
On seeing that, Shauna attempted to put the bottle in his mouth but the little boy shrugged away, angrily pushed at his mother’s hand while making guttural sounds and pointing at the two glasses on the table. His grandfather also tried but he, too, received the same treatment.
While this was happening, a group of patrons at an adjoining table was laughing as their eyes were steadfast on the infant’s antics.
While half way through their beverage, the waitress returned with appetisers and this created another bout of laughter, not only by the group but also the other patrons.
Shauna and her father put away their glasses, drew the plates with the appetisers closer to them and the little boy also put away his bottle and tried to grab his mother’s plate.
She looked at him sternly and quietly said, “You cannot have this…you are now teething.”
The 10-month-old then turned his attention to his grandfather, who also denied him access to the contents of his plate.
The infant, in a manner that depicted that of an adult seated among friends as they enjoy a buffet lunch but was not invited to partake, knitted his brow and with an angry look on his face started banging on the table whilst pointing to the appetisers.
They paid him no attention but the patrons all burst into laughter at the site of his actions.
That was only part two of the episode; for on completion of the appetisers, the waitress brought the main course and laid it on the table.
His eyes lit up. He watched the waitress’ every move and, suddenly, with the agility of a monkey, he swung in the chair and lunged at his mother’s plate in an attempt to remove a piece of meat.
Again, with that stern look Shauna said, “I told you that you cannot eat this, it is for adults and not babies…you are teething.”
In response, the infant withdrew his hand, put it into his mouth, rolled up his eyes and started making some choking sounds to gain his grandfather’s attention.
Another burst of laughter rang out at Marshall’s.
Seemingly embarrassed by the child’s behaviour, the grandfather coaxed him and removed the hand from his mouth.
The child smiled, knowing that he had gained someone’s attention.
The grandfather then took a piece of meat and put it into the child’s mouth. Without chewing, the infant swallowed it and shortly thereafter began to puke.
After making clean the area in which he puked, the grandfather offered him another piece of meat. But, this time however, the little boy refused and continuously shook his head in a negative gesture whilst pushing his grandfather’s hand away from his mouth, which brought another outburst of laughter from the patrons.
The grandfather said, “I think he has learnt his lesson.”
On completion of the birthday dinner, the grandfather asked for the bill, which amounted to a few hundred EC dollars, but was told that a member of the group that was seated at the adjoining table had already paid it.
He looked around in the restaurant for the group but they had already left. So, he went outside in search of them but they were nowhere to be seen.
Speaking with SKNVibes, the grandfather said although he had felt somewhat embarrassed by the infant’s behaviour…“even though he is a toddler, like all children, he has to be taught at an early stage that no means no”.
The grandfather also said that he was taken aback by the kind gesture of the group’s member and would have felt much better if he had had the opportunity to thank him personally.
“I was quite surprised to learn that the bill was already paid. Such gestures only occurred in the golden old days, not in these modern times. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to wherever he is. Thank you for being tolerant of my grandson’s behaviour and for making my daughter’s birth anniversary an unforgettable one.”
SKNVibes learnt that the members of the group who paid for the dinner are named Steven and Terrah and they were at the time visiting the Federation.
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