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Mother, writer and daydreamer. Also chocoholic and chick-flick lover. But mainly mommy. To two boys, at that! When not escorting my Elder One (EO) to karate class, I'm trying to get in as many cuddles as possible from my Younger One (YO). And when not doing either, I'm hard-at-work trying to maintain a steady relationship with my laptop. And as for the Man I Married (MIM), well, let’s just put it this way – even though we share a bedroom, our most meaningful conversations are held over the cell-phone!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

For Parul

Sensing my growing desperation at not being able to lay my hands on "Bringing Up Vasu" by our very own and beloved Parul Sharma, a darling friend decided to surprise me with it by couriering it all the way from Bombay. Needless to say, I was gobsmacked by this touching gesture.

It finally arrived on Sunday and I can't stop smiling to myself. Every now and then, I even break into an impromptu Happy Chicken Dance!

Had this been once upon a time, long, long, a helluva long time ago, I would have finished the book in one sitting. Now that old age, failing eyesight, a Mr. Man, two boisterous brats, tiffin-making and chaperoning car-pools make up the circle of my life, that is not possible anymore. I am half-way through it...and LOVING IT!!

But this is not a review. I will save that for the whole book. It's only fair. This post is about something my EO said to me.

The MIM and I had taken the boys out on Sunday for book browsing and lunch. When we came back, there was the packet that I had been waiting for ever since I knew it was on it's way. With a war-cry, I attacked the outer covering to unearth the book that I had been waiting for ever since I knew it had hit the stands.

My EO was watching me with interest. "What is that, Mamma? A book?"
Excitedly, I gave him the book and said, "See baby, see? My friend has written this book. See?"
He took the book from my hands and looked at the cover with shining eyes. "Is it about this baby?"
"Yes. Yes it is about that baby boy. And his mamma."
He gave a giggle of approval and then ran after his brother for a game of 'Catch Me If You Can' at break-neck speed.

I thought that was that. I was mistaken.

Yesterday, while I was taking him to karate class, he said, "Mamma, I have a story for that aunty."
"Which aunty, baby?", I asked perplexed.
"The aunty which wrote that book!"
I was shocked. "Parul aunty?"
"Her name is Parul? Which wrote that blue, baby book that you are reading?"
"Yes, bubba."
"Then yes, Parul aunty. I want you to give her this story."

So Parul, this is for you. From my growing-up-WAY-too-fast, not-yet-six-year-old sunshine, my EO. (Please note, it has been grossly edited of EO-speak, for the little dude tends to ramble on and on and on. I've cut through the meanderings and given you a spiffy, spruced up version. But how I wish you could have heard the original, complete with expressive eyes glowing, voice modulation and hand movements.)

The Bad Snake
Once upon a time, a big sister and her two small brothers went to a dark forest. There, they met a kangaroo. The kangaroo was very friendly and took them for a ride through the forest. Then they met a wolf. He wasn't a bad wolf. He was friendly and he too took the three children for a ride through the forest.
The three children made ten friends in the forest...the kangaroo, the wolf, a grasshopper, a bumblebee, an ostrich, a tiger, a fire-bee, a lion, a white tiger and an owl. Everyday they would play together.
One day, from the river, a big, black, deadly-poisonous black mamba came out!! He was very mean. He told lies. He started telling lies to all the animals. He said that the big sister was not a nice person.
The other animals were very angry with him for telling such lies and they threw rocks at him. He started to cry and said that he was very sorry and that he would never lie again. The other animals told him to go back into the river and to never come out again.
After that, the big, black mamba never troubled them again and the big sister with her two small brothers played with their animal friends everyday.

P.S. Notice the detail about the lying snake? I guess I don't need to be a psychologist to figure this one out!

11 comments:

Mama - Mia said...

awwwww! thats such a cute story!! :)

and all your gyaan about lying being a bad thing seems to have been working! :)

and yeah, because you tells stories so beautifully, you are tagged to do the "awesome" tag!

pls to do it!

hugs

abha

SD said...

ohhhh, he has got your knack for imagination and thought M4. You are one proud mother, I can see that!

Parul said...

Dear EO,
I read your story and I think it's absolutely wonderful. You can be anything you want to when you grow up of course being a super-bright kid but believe me, story-telling is one of your options. Your parents are doing a fantastic job of fostering your imagination (and I hope of explaining big words too!) I have never had a story written specially for me, so this will always hold a really, really special place in my heart and in my library (I am going to take a print-out and put it where I can see it). Thank you, darling. You have made a fellow story-teller very happy. And an aunt even more so. Ok now I am off to read it again.

Much love

Parul

Anonymous said...

awww that was so lovely and adorable

he is really good at it and so nice of him to remember the book writing

hugs to the boy and to the mom for raising him well

Monika said...

Aww such a cute story. It's amazing how these little kids think & imagine things & weave them into stories about happenings in their lives.
THese days Ansh has been drawings lots of animals within animals. Each animal he draws is pregnant. It's amazing & heart-warming :)

wordjunkie said...

Seriously, find him a publisher! And what gorgeous illustrations this would make!!

Indyeah said...

This is so cute:))
what an imagination he has !:))

and look at they way he has imbibed that lesson :))

mammma's words had an effect na?:)


((hugs)))for EO :)
and of course YO too:))

PS:-also thank you for sharing about Parul's book:)

And you have a wonderful friend who couriered the book:))

Poppins said...

Oh yay you got the book. And that whole lying incident, just broke my heart too :) Sweet sweet boy.

Rohini said...

I love the story, and how it was almost a fable with a moral given the lying context :)

Sue said...

Awwww!

Mamma mia! Me a mamma? said...

@Namesake: Thanks so much, I really appreciate this, but I'm not awesome. No, really, I'm not -- and definitely not seven times over!!

@GM: I just hope this imaginative trait translates into lucrative book deals and not creative stories as to how the car lost it's fender when he's 19!! ;)

@Parul aunty: Oh thank you aunty! I will keep trying. You know, I can spell 'favourite'!

@Monika: *hugs right back*

@Mon,Ansh: I am amazed by Ansh's sensitivity! Preserve those drawings. They are precious!

@WJ: Ahem...know of any good illustrators?? *cough, cough*

@Indy: You're the school teacher, you tell me...will the lesson stick? I hope it does! And i along with my two boys are hugging you right back! :)

@Poppins: Yayy for me too! Got the book, finished the book, loved the book and reviewed it too! :)

@Rohini: Yes, that's what blew me away too! How they imbibe and then translate...

@Sue: ;D