A woebegone child

I had just given Taufik a dose of the nebuliser. He had been feeling unwell these last few days and it was a matter of time before his asthma acted up. For an extremely active and boisterous child, he was subdued and a little quiet this evening.

We read, as we do almost every night, in bed under the covers of the duvet. Thumbelina, was the story of choice and it so happened that the swallow she befriended in the story was from Denmark. Naturally, Taufik’s thoughts turned to his much adored, faraway father. His lips began to tremble noticeably, and he buried his face in his soft pillow.

“I miss Far, Mommy.” he said in a woeful and muffled voice. “I miss Far so much.”
“I know darling.” I said comfortingly, patting his back.
“Mommy, did you know that Far lives all alone? And even at work he is all alone. I am so sad for him. My Far is so lonely.”

After that no more words, just quiet mewling sounds as my son cried for his father and himself.

Who could resist?

The madness of buffet breakfast was finally over and we were making our way out. It was our second morning at the Marriott Hua Hin and I was looking forward to another lovely day of sea, swim and sun. Inaaya was toddling beside me as we snaked our way through the mess of tables and chairs.

I walked past the waiter and couldn't help but notice the wild Amazon jungle he was nurturing on his calves. The Bermuda shorts uniform did nothing to hide this lush flora and fauna. Inaaya, it just so happen, tripped, at that exact same time. I was bending over to help her when I saw that she had lifted up her head with both arms on the floor supporting her weight. And was staring unabashedly at the waiter's legs. She was without a doubt, eye to eye with the tufts on his leg.

Without hesitation, she lifted her hand and touched him and his hair in a soft caress. The waiter, shocked, jerked forward and looked down. What could he do, but smile at my little angel who was till preoccupied with his hair.

He was thought terribly embarrassed. I don't blame him. There is just something about tight curls growing in furious spots that doesn't do it for me.

What's that?

It’s whooshing by so fast…like a bullet train. Blink my eye and in the next scene Taufik is 15 and Inaaya 12. Well, I am exaggerating…a little bit.

We were walking home from the Be My Guest Restaurant in PC5 the other day, when Inaaya just stopped short. I was busy chatting loudly to my sister sounding as annoying and provocative as Stephen Sackur; basically too busy to notice the infant child. Suddenly she gave a most God awful high and piercing screech that penetrated through my obnoxious consciousness. “What the…” I trailed off as I eyed my daughter puzzled.

She was just standing there with her arms up in the air, indicating that she wanted me to carry her. But every movement she made, seemed to terrify her. I eyed the ground before her suspiciously. No stinging scorpions or slimy jing choks (lizards) lurking about. I studied Inaaya who was glued to the ground but making mewling sounds with lips that hardly moved when the thought hit me.

I looked at my sister, and she looked at me. We gave each other that look almost simultaneously. That ‘Aha!’ glint the eye, you know…but just a tad more cool.

It struck us both at the same time, the thing that was terrorizing Inaaya. Inaaya was paralyzingly (is there such a word?) terrified of her own shadow. She couldn’t move because every time she did, the ‘enemy’ did the same. I laughed my head off as I bent down to pick up my silly little daughter.

What a quirky little thing she was. Now how do I handle this very irrational fear?