" Where are they going " ?
' When will we eat " ?
Remember the 3-4 year olds who have a lot of questions about everything?
I bumped into a little guy, in a social gathering and he was one fast track shooter.No sooner had he received a answer, another question would pop up. He seemed to have internalized the lean methodology of finding the root cause for analysis .Patience is not really one of my virtues, but I really wanted to build it up, so I went on and on.Also, to a certain extent he was asking logical questions only, and I love logic and structure.
Now any traditional gathering would have some predictable items.I was sitting in a place where they were stocking up all paraphernalia, and one such item was the humble coconut.A small one rolled to where we were sitting and the little one picked it up, ready to fling it back to the mound.However he stopped midway, trudging the nut upside down , he saw what we often miss out the three black orifices at the bottom of the coconut.
" Why are there 3 holes in a coconut " ? , he asked with a genuine look of curiosity.
I was stumped.I could answer logically questions about obvious orifices in human beings, but again these were just two in number(OK, gender unspecific !! , Ignoramus).However I really could not extend the same analogy to a coconut.
Sometimes...... the answer is in the question itself.You just dig and dig......strategically. The person will say something and then a look of realization will dawn ........ so you are happy.
So I sidestepped this motor mouth, " OK I will tell you...first you tell me ...what is the color of the coconut "
" That's easy its brown ' , he replied gleefully.
" And the shape of the coconut".
Round...again very happily.
" What is inside the coconut " ?
" Water…
Then he rushed and said " Not just plain water..it is sweet water and there is soft white flesh too "
" So there are two things right ..water and flesh ".
" It is sealed right..so how do you put the two things inside the coconut "?
Funti was lost….I picked up a nut which was near me and showed him the holes.
" See one hole for putting in the water and one for putting in the flesh ".......…I realsied that I had shot myself in the foot…literally. Now I had no answer for third orifice.
The funti however had other plans…he put his tiny finger on the third orifice and said " And this last one is for taking them out ..right "............!!!
Yea yea , that’s is correct !! , I said with releif, " Now why dont you run to you amma and tell her what you just found out ...."
The rocket took off, and I did too.Later I saw them both sitting in the dining hall waiting to be served and I caught his eye , he became animated and shook his mother, sitting besides him pointing towards me.
I waved to both of them with a smile.
Later, as I was walking out of the hall, the lady caught up with me, and " What exactly did you say to him, he is running around with a coconut, in his hand and saying one two and three again and again !! "
"I did not say anything, i just asked him questions ..." , I replied with a smile
The lady had a look of astonishment on her face, " Now that is a refreshing change , for it is normally the other way round,........".Looking back at him, she added softly , " He is indeed very happy today .A pause and then a barely audible " His father has no patience you see, and........... I am always running around... " with just a hint of weariness in her tone.
At a loss of words again I said," I got to go, else it would be hard to get a bus , say goodbye to him from me too ...and good night to you too " ...
' Why dont you come around someday to our place for tea, I am sure he would love to see you again " ..., she said in a rush.
" I am not a part time baby sitter.........." , I wanted to say...but I held on and did the great Indian nod, a circular movement that can mean anything.
" This is my number " she said handling me a scribble , just give me a call if you are planning to come.
Sure !! aur phir .............bhago !!
PS - I did not throw away the number, I got to respect that sentiment, but baby sitting......the jury is out !!
' When will we eat " ?
Remember the 3-4 year olds who have a lot of questions about everything?
I bumped into a little guy, in a social gathering and he was one fast track shooter.No sooner had he received a answer, another question would pop up. He seemed to have internalized the lean methodology of finding the root cause for analysis .Patience is not really one of my virtues, but I really wanted to build it up, so I went on and on.Also, to a certain extent he was asking logical questions only, and I love logic and structure.
Now any traditional gathering would have some predictable items.I was sitting in a place where they were stocking up all paraphernalia, and one such item was the humble coconut.A small one rolled to where we were sitting and the little one picked it up, ready to fling it back to the mound.However he stopped midway, trudging the nut upside down , he saw what we often miss out the three black orifices at the bottom of the coconut.
" Why are there 3 holes in a coconut " ? , he asked with a genuine look of curiosity.
I was stumped.I could answer logically questions about obvious orifices in human beings, but again these were just two in number(OK, gender unspecific !! , Ignoramus).However I really could not extend the same analogy to a coconut.
Sometimes...... the answer is in the question itself.You just dig and dig......strategically. The person will say something and then a look of realization will dawn ........ so you are happy.
So I sidestepped this motor mouth, " OK I will tell you...first you tell me ...what is the color of the coconut "
" That's easy its brown ' , he replied gleefully.
" And the shape of the coconut".
Round...again very happily.
" What is inside the coconut " ?
" Water…
Then he rushed and said " Not just plain water..it is sweet water and there is soft white flesh too "
" So there are two things right ..water and flesh ".
" It is sealed right..so how do you put the two things inside the coconut "?
Funti was lost….I picked up a nut which was near me and showed him the holes.
" See one hole for putting in the water and one for putting in the flesh ".......…I realsied that I had shot myself in the foot…literally. Now I had no answer for third orifice.
The funti however had other plans…he put his tiny finger on the third orifice and said " And this last one is for taking them out ..right "............!!!
Yea yea , that’s is correct !! , I said with releif, " Now why dont you run to you amma and tell her what you just found out ...."
The rocket took off, and I did too.Later I saw them both sitting in the dining hall waiting to be served and I caught his eye , he became animated and shook his mother, sitting besides him pointing towards me.
I waved to both of them with a smile.
Later, as I was walking out of the hall, the lady caught up with me, and " What exactly did you say to him, he is running around with a coconut, in his hand and saying one two and three again and again !! "
"I did not say anything, i just asked him questions ..." , I replied with a smile
The lady had a look of astonishment on her face, " Now that is a refreshing change , for it is normally the other way round,........".Looking back at him, she added softly , " He is indeed very happy today .A pause and then a barely audible " His father has no patience you see, and........... I am always running around... " with just a hint of weariness in her tone.
At a loss of words again I said," I got to go, else it would be hard to get a bus , say goodbye to him from me too ...and good night to you too " ...
' Why dont you come around someday to our place for tea, I am sure he would love to see you again " ..., she said in a rush.
" I am not a part time baby sitter.........." , I wanted to say...but I held on and did the great Indian nod, a circular movement that can mean anything.
" This is my number " she said handling me a scribble , just give me a call if you are planning to come.
Sure !! aur phir .............bhago !!
PS - I did not throw away the number, I got to respect that sentiment, but baby sitting......the jury is out !!
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