It was after the dinner on terrace of our home on a full moon day. We had spent some time looking at the stars and we struggled to recognize and make new shapes of the shining stars. Vishu was looking at the patterns the headlights of the moving vehicles on the road far away were making on the still waters of the lake. When we were done, as expected, Anjali started her regular song.
"Daddy, I am very tired. Very sleepy. (yawns with big open mouth to prove the point). I can not walk down. Please carry me"
I say nothing doing and she had to walk. But I exactly know how it would end. Just to prove my point I stress that I had to help Maggie clean up all the plates from terrace.
"But Daddy. I am tired and sleepy" The second yawn comes out, bigger than the first one. "I can not climb down the stairs". Since the first negotiation step failed, she invokes the second negotiation step - starts crying slowly.
Maggie, who thinks that Anjali blackmails her daddy emotionally all the time, tries to give instructions to Anjali that she has to walk down by herself.
As expected, the crying intensifies and daddy relents, as Vishu's frustration grows. Because he has to help mom now carrying the plates down.
So, I carry her in my arms and she puts her head on my shoulders and says "Thank you daddy", with a kiss on my cheeks. My response was silence, busy trying to focus on the steps.
Then comes the question - "Daddy do you know what is the best time in the universe?".
I know very well that she already has an answer in her mind ready, otherwise the question wouldn't have popped out in the first place.
I ask her - "what is it sweetipie?"
A couple of seconds of silence and she says with a sleepy tone - "My life time Daddy."
I was speechless trying to understand the gravity of her answer. It has taken about 35 yrs for me figure that out about my life and there she was, all of 5 yrs and 6 months old, revealing her findings about life.
Who teaches these things to the kids? What do they eat?
