Daddy came.
Means in the kitchen, na, Auntie was standing near that place where ‘bai’ washes, dirty smelly place
There is one big roundy roundy black stone, dosa idli stone, like in my house. Amma, see, Auntie also has.
Near that there is that poky poky thing, Amma makes coconut, no? That thing
Amma: Can we keep this coconut scraper away?
Auntie: Hmh! Yes, of course, I should have thought of that as soon as I saw this child!
Amma is smiling
Amma: Nowadays, they have these new mixers and grinders for making
Auntie: No! Never! Our old ways are the best! I need to feel the batter blossom under my palms.
Amma was standing near the cooking cooking place. Amma is smiling
Here the cooking place is not like our house, here it is black, all shiny shiny. Auntie has made that papadam.
Amma, I don’t like papadam, I like vadaam
Amma: Shhh! Enough!
In the window, na, crow friend can’t come. It is all line line not like my house. In my house, I can stand fully
The floor is also green green.
I was standing near Amma. That time I was crying
Then Daddy came so I became scared and I ran to that side, means near my Amma only but I thought Daddy was going to beat me, no? So I went that side
Amma: Don’t run, kondhe, this is a small kitchen
Daddy: What happpened?
Amma: It’s bhendi for lunch…
Daddy: Ohhh…
Auntie: I have never ever seen a child like this in all my life
Daddy: Haha, but you only have one child, hahaha
Auntie: So what? My child would eat all vegetables, never say no to food. What kind of child is this? What is the upbringing? Parents are leaving their children free, too free!!
Amma was looking at Daddy only
What she’s saying?
But Amma did like that like that with hands means wait, don’t say now
But I want to know na, what Auntie is saying
Uncle also came.
I ran near Uncle
Carry me when Daddy is not seeing, na, I said softly only.
Daddy didn’t heard. Uncle also didn’t heard
Auntie: See? See that? One time you tell your child it should be enough. ENOUGH!
I went back to my Amma. Amma is only nice
Daddy: It’s okay! I don’t want a scene. She can eat plain rice and dal or she can have thair saadam, these things are possible, right?
Auntie: Of course! In our house everything is possible! Only chocolate and ice-cream are not. Hmh!
Uncle: One time my friend comes to visit, then also you have to say something like this. Their daughter is fine. She’s a perfect little darling. Dei, come on, I got some good scotch from my friend in the army. I wasn’t sure if you’d… you know… lunch time
Daddy: Lunch, dinner, breakfast, I’m always up for a tipple, hahahaha
Uncle: Hahaha
Daddy and Uncle went away. Uncle never carried me only
I was shaking my Amma’s hand. Amma
Amma: Hmmm?
Amma, Amma, what Auntie was saying?
What this Amma, not saying only
Amma, AMMA! YOU’RE CRYING? Amma! What happened?
Auntie made you to cry?
Auntie made one tchchch sound means loooong, even Amma can do, you know? Tchchchchchch
Hee-hee-hee
All tickles, no? Hee-hee
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