REBECCA TAKES UNCLE BERTRAM'S CALL

By EVAN GAHR

Becca Chimp's Uncle Bertram on May 30 made what he thought was a routine call to the Upper East side home of his sister's daughter and was pleasantly surprised when Miss Chimp, not yet three, picked up the phone and started jabbering away.

Initially, it seemed like Uncle Bertram was just leaving his standard answering machine message, Bertrammmmmm, the same words he used to enterain Jepluvius in between feeding.

Then, amidst all the Bertraming a little voice was
heard. Hi--eee, drawing out her sylables.

Perhaps one of the reasons Rebecca and her Uncle Bertram have bonded is that she scrupulously avoids the obsequious tact of mentioning someone's name every three words to create faux intimacy, the worst variation being that chirpy, "Hi Evan."

But this was strictly "Hi--eeee." Although the excited tone made clear she knew exactly who was on the phone. It's usually people who don't know you from squat who mention your name the most.

And there she went. Rebecca started jabbering away in baby talk, most of which was unintelligible except that she made a "smelly doody and Bubbie cleaned it up."

But she even made that sound endearing, as if it were a pottery project.

Rebecca allowed that she gave Jepluvius some pretend cereal, although a source close to Jepluvius, known as "Pa," said later he was disappoitned it wasn't real.