We are going to my Daddy ka friend ka house for lunch
Didi and Bhaiya won’t come
Then I also don’t want to go
Daddy: You have to come, you’ll disturb them. Let them study
My dolly? My dolly also wants to come
Daddy: Nono, no dolls allowed. Keeps it here and there. They’ll give you ice cream and chocolate, now come on, get ready
Amma is dressing up. Amma is wearing a nice soft soft saree. Yellow saree with small small sparrow
Amma: Huh? Look properly! This is a peacock, see, it has a crest on its head.
I want to jump in the saree, is so softy softy, hee hee
Amma: Kondhe, you’ll spoil my saree, please…
Crow friend came, Amma, see, crow friend is eating
Amma: Kondhe, I have to stop feeding this one
Then where crow will eat food?
Amma: Come on, come now, Appa has already gone to the car
.
.
We went in car, I sat on Amma’s lap. Daddy was driving and driving. I want to put my head outside the window and feel all that nice nice air and nice nice sun
Amma is not letting me only
Amma never lets me do anything
Daddy: This is the building, my friend doesn’t have much money, his house is small. Don’t say anything to embarrass me. Now, hold my hand. First you have to walk up these three stairs.
Amma: This building is so old, chhee! There’s an open gutter running in front of… chhee!
Daddy: You be quiet, what you were born in some king’s palace or what?
Amma: We were poor but we never ever lived like this…
Daddy: You walk up, I’ll handle her. Kondhe! Now, you climb these three steps, okay? Then… Now see, oh my god, no light at all!
We can take lift, no?
Daddy: There is no lift here
So dark it is!
Daddy: Yes!
I’m scared
I don’t want to go
One light came. ‘I saw the car. Then I saw you, hahaha. So glad to see you, walk up carefully…’
Daddy: Oh my god! Tokkaa! Hearing your voice after so long!
Daddy was pulling my hand
But I can walk na, I can see now. I am not scared
Daddy threw my hand
Why Daddy became angry?
Amma? Where is Amma? Amma?
AMMA!
AMMA!
Amma came from back
Someone is saying but I don’t know who is saying
Amma: ooff! He should have come alone! Why make everyone… Yes, yes, his friend is standing up there
Where? I can’t see…
Amma: Walk up, come on
I went with Amma up the steps, then we turned and there was some more steps
One Uncle was standing on top of the steps
Uncle: Welcome! Welcome! Oh my, you’ve become so big
At the back of Uncle, one girl is standing.
Daddy went up. Daddy hugged Uncle. I looked at Daddy. Daddy should not hug. I don’t like like that
Daddy: This is my friend, Suresh. You remember him?
No
Daddy: He had come to see you when you were born, what is your son doing now? Oh, hostel aaha, very good, very good
Who is that girl?
Daddy: Hahaha, she is not a girl, she is Auntie. Shanta Auntie, oh, sorry, Shanthi Auntie
Auntie is very tall. Her saree is green. Not nice and softy like my Amma’s saree
Uncle carried me on his shoulder
Daddy: Oho, please don’t. It’ll become a habit and…
Uncle: Hah! Nonsense!
Daddy: Come down kondhe, you sit here. Nono, don’t carry her like this. You aren’t growing any younger. Stop kicking him! Kondhe!
But I want to sit up here
Daddy carried me down
I want to be up
Daddy: Stop! Sit here
Uncle: Arre, what sit? Come here, let’s play… See this blue pen?
Daddy: hahaha, come on
Uncle: Wait, baba, let me show her magic
Uncle made the pen to go away and then he took it out from my nose
How?
Do again, na, do again
Uncle: Okay, this time, let’s make the pen go away… arre, see, I got it from behind your ear
Uncle, do na more magic
Daddy: Bas! Enough! Now you go there and sit, what is this nonsense magic? We’ll spend all our time doing magic or what?
But I want! I want! I’m bored na?
Uncle: Beta, you go and be with your Mummy, okay? I’ll think of some new magic
Amma came and caught my hand. She made me to go to the kitchen.
Auntie: What’ll baby have? Would you like some milk? No? Oh, what happened, oh my, you’re upset. Sorry, oho, doesn’t like milk. What will you have?
Ice cream
Auntie: Haha, we don’t have ice cream
Chocolate
Auntie: Haha, we don’t have chocolate
But Daddy said
Amma: We said that to make her come along. It’s all right. Kondhe, come on, we’ll just have food. No need for all those other things
But I want
Amma: See, Auntie has made lunch
Auntie: See, I’ve made dahi vada, bhendi fry, rasam…
Sauce?
Auntie: Oh my god, no! We don’t eat all those things at all. Only good clean food
Amma: You can have dal rice no? Why sauce?
Amma is looking at me. Amma is making her eyes small and big
What?
Amma is laughing: She’s such a picky eater, you know, hahaha, doesn’t eat many vegetables. Bhendi, arbi…
Auntie: Oh? That’s very bad! Child! You should eat properly. All vegetables are important! You eat in my house, you’re a good girl. Okay?
NO!
Auntie is holding me so tightly!
Amma! AMMA!
I am going to cry
Auntie: Bad! Very bad!
Amma: Haha, it is okay, she’ll eat, she’ll eat. I’ll feed her.
I won’t eat food!
I want to go home now.
I DON’T LIKE THIS HOUSE.
ALL DIRTY FOOD!
Amma: Kondhe! Stop it! Behave yourself. We’ll go home after lunch!
No! Now!
I want to go now!
My book of short stories , The Violent Potter, is about how children feel within a family ‘system’ and how love works, sometimes outside the system. It’s available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.in/dp/9390266688/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_fabc_KECBKJ6HSKZ6QR5F331W