The Magical words!

Kanthari was hurt. The hostility her own kith and kin was showing towards her was hurting her. “What did I do to deserve this hatred?” she thought. It was the week before her periods, the time when her hormones starts playing tricks on her tear glands. Inji kuttan was puzzled to see his Kanthari amma quietly making her evening tea. She didn’t care about the usual mischief he was up to! With a grave face she quietly took her cup of tea and sat down on the living room sofa. Inji closed the fridge and was kneely observing her now. He kept his distance, not knowing what to do! But his little brain knew something was bothering his mother. Tears started rolling down her eyes without any warning. She couldn’t stop it. Inji stood there perplexed, thinking, “Now what did I do to make her cry.” He was sure he didn’t do any mischief to upset her to this extent.

Kantari couldn’t face him, she was staring at her tea cup in her hands. Inji quietly walked towards her. She looked at him, with tears still rolling down her cheeks. With his tiny, chubby hands he wiped her tears, his eyes still puzzled at the reason why his mother was crying. Then the most caring words came out of his mouth, “Potte… Potte, Potte.” (Meaning, Leave it!)

 Kantari broke  into a smile, pulled Inji close to her, made him sit on her lap and hugged him tightly.  By then, he understood everything is alright in her world. He had that proud look on his face. Now he knows the magical words to make her tears go away.

The First Ride back home!

It was Inji kuttan’s first ride back home from school in his school van. Kanthari was excited. She quickly took a bath, got dressed in her best outfit and waited half an hour before the expected time. She dreamt of her son’s face. How excited he would be to see her! While she was lost in her thoughts the school van appeared at her front gate. She ran towards the gate with so much happiness and what did she see? For a moment, Inji’s face brightened up with surprise to see his mother out of nowhere. The next moment reality struck him, it was his turn to get down and say goodbye to his friends. His mother was there to pick him up and take him away from his friends. As Kanthari tried to take little Inji in her arms, he pulled back with all his strength and started wailing. The van driver, the school Aaya and the remaining kids in the van looked at us surprised and shocked.

There are kids who cry to go to school and then there are kids like Injikuttan who cries to come back home!