For about a year now, I’ve stopped shielding my son from news of death…
Now that he’s so familiar with all the killings he so happily watches on Ben10, Krishna, Pawanputra Hanuman and the likes, I tell him the truth if someone we know passes on.
Recently a friend lost her mother and I had to tell him where I was going.
He later asked me, “how did she die?”
“She was old, baby..” I replied. “And she was not feeling very well…”
He pondered for a moment and left it at that.
Yesterday, I had a headache and was trying to sleep it off. He came charging into the room and wanted me to play a game with him. That instant.
“Not now baby! I pleaded. “Leave me alone for sometime.”
Concerned, he knelt beside my bed.
“Why, Amma?” he asked.
“I’m not feeling too well. Let me rest. I’ll feel better”
“Are you going to die, Amma?” He asked, sounding very worried.
“No kanna..” I replied, feeling very touched.
“Amma, please don’t die!” begged my little drama prince.
“I will not die now baby..” I assured him, stroking his head. “First I’ll have to grow into an old woman, I’ll die only after you get married and have babies…” I promised him.
He thought for a while.
“You’ll become an old woman, Amma?”
“Yes, Kanna..”
“And then you’ll die?”
“Yes, Kanna…”
After a pause, he asked me,
“Then who’ll be my new mother?”
That, my darlings, is the male species for you, in a nutshell…
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