Baby Shoe

In Tchad I lived with a family that had five kids, and who ambitiously made it an even six kids during my months of occupancy.

Baby Six was born in January.

In French, when you are soothing a baby, you say, "Chut! Chut, bébé! Chut!" It sounds like " Shoe, baby, shoe! Shoe!"

Baby Six had a name, Dugay Grace. But no one really used her name, and eventually they all just called her, "Bébé Chut."

Suare would touch the baby's head in the morning and say, "Bonjour, Bébé Chut!"