We left Periamma’s house after eating dinner.
We got into a black yellow taxi, the driver was very nice, he showed me how to make my ears move. Means he did something with his eyes and head and his ears moved! I was also trying to make my ears move and the taxi driver was laughing.
Amma smiled but she’s not being so nice now. She didn’t hug me, she didn’t carry me
I looked at the sky, stars were there, they are also coming with me. One red dot, see, Amma, red dot in the sky, see…
She leaned to my side window to see: Aeroplane
Then she sat back in her side, she didn’t pat my head or touch my cheek or anything. Amma always does like that
Amma: First we’ll go to the hospital to see Appa, then we’ll go home
I want to go home but… I want Didi
We went to the hospital
Daddy was sitting on a white bed, someone put strings… ropes…
Daddy: Injections, baba, see this is the needle and through this tube medicine is flowing into my veins
Haww, it must be paining, na?
Daddy: Nothing pains me as much as your behaviour.
What I did?
Daddy (groaning): …Nothing pains me as much as your Amma’s leaving.
Daddy is looking very sad, means he wants to cry. Daddy never cries.
Daddy: I don’t want to talk about it any more. Your mother stripped me in front of her sister’s neighbours! She wanted to call the police! But I won’t talk. If I talk, I am the bad man! This is my lot, my destiny…
Daddy is looking at Amma. Amma didn’t look at Daddy, she moved along the wall and sat in a white colour chair. I went near her to sit in her lap, she pushed me away. So I stood near her. The room is all white. It is nice. The wall is shiny.
Daddy’s bed is near a wall. Near his bed, there’s a table with all medicines. There’s a window above the table. But it is closed, no one can see outside. Amma was in this hospital only, but her room was not all white white like this.
Amma, let me sit in your lap, na
Again Amma pushed me
Daddy: She’s a small child, she needs her mother. Why are you making her sit separately?
Amma: No need for all that, she doesn’t like me
Daddy: Bahh! Child of 6 says things, you call yourself a mother
Amma: Beats his daughter, calls himself a father
Amma also beat me
Daddy: Hahaha!
Amma: Why did I beat you?
Daddy: What does it matter? You beat her, that is all. Points fingers at me, hah, you!
Amma’s face is becoming angry
Daddy is making a fight. He makes his face smiling and he’ll keep on saying and saying and suddenly Amma will say something then Daddy will shout and then Amma will cry and everything will happen like that and there’ll become one fight
Daddy: When you were sick I took care of you! I…
Amma (shouting): YOU! And took care of me! Should I clap? Shouted about how much work you had, screamed at everyone about your suffering… you call that care!
Now she’s looking at me
Amma: YOU don’t like me any more, do you? You called me stupid, dirty, bad. Do you like this Daddy?
I-I like Didi
Daddy: What? What about me? Do you like me or don’t you? I’m your father!
I-uh-I-I like Didi
Daddy: Don’t you dare start crying!!
Now both Daddy and Amma are looking at me angry
Daddy: You don’t like your OWN parents? You are our child! It is your duty to love and respect us!
Now everyone became angry
I want to go home
I want my Didi
It’s a matter of time that the warring partners, absorbed in their individual troubles turn on their own, transferring the blame of at least some of their problems to that kid who still believes that stars follow her in the dark
My book of short stories, The Violent Potter, is available on Amazon. The book is intended for an audience of parents, teachers and grandparents of young children
Link: http://tinyurl.com/466tvf5f
Each story highlights the gap between adult expectations and child perspective. The book is in two parts, Part 1 sees the impact of the gap while Part 2 sees what happens when someone fills the gap with loving perspective.