It must have started five years ago..maybe more, or maybe even less..i dont remember. and its not important either..it started because i was there at that place at that time on that day...i had reached home from work one evening, I was searching for the door keys, as usual,, when suddenly a bunch of begging kids, knee length, surrounded me.. aunty some water please, can we have some water please?..the urgency in the voices made me give them water...its only after i gave them water,that i noticed my next door neighbor..she was watching me with loads of irritation...that is when she was not smirking.. 'lets see how long your generosity will last? kind....which it when it clicked...She was the water carrier for the kids till that day. she wud have refused them water that day, which is why they cottoned on to me...
i had clearly not known what i had let myself into that day..the extent of my involvement in this 'social service' became clear only much much later...kids of all ages and genders came knocking at all times...cute kids, tiny shy ones, the naughty ones, the restless ones, the brash abrasive ones, the' its your job' expressioned ones, the greatful ones, the ones who buckle to authority immediately, and the ones who are destined to disobey authority ones, for water.......kids who do not respect my afternoon siesta or my poignant moments on the television, and who often wud have caught me with eyes brimed with 'film on TV' tears ...and yet other times when they wud have saved me from abusing somebody on orkut! :P. though i must admit, i had to face the brunt only on weekends and holidays. other times it is my son and sometimes my maidservant who has had to do the duty.
They sometimes come with odd requests...can we have cold water from the refrigator? one cheeky lad had once demanded, to which i had firmly said no..soon i began to draw lines...nobody leave any water in the glasses..no cold water...no using aqua water for washing hands or legs, and no taking water for somebody sitting somewhere else..who wants water comes here, and takes it here, no screaming, jostling and pushing each other for water, no demands of favoritism...the me first me first thing......they took to the rules easily.
Then came the time, when i was bored of playing mother terresa to the kids, and wanted out..I was so tempted to throw in the towel....but the recollection of the smirk always saved me..no il last longer, it made me promise myself each time it happened. and i also had a secret solace..ah, well, the kids will grow up one day and the 'duty' wud end.
..but, it didnt..that is, the kids did grow up, but in the meanwhile new kids joined ..so the cycle continues..
in my better moments i remember i seem to have this curse with water...i mean i had noticed this long long ago, when ever im parched dying thirsty, and about to drink some water, somebody more parched wud demand water from me and i wud be forced to give it away to them...i had finally then decided, that perhaps in some last birth i would have killed somebody by keeping them thirsty, and hence the punishment this birth.
Other times, i realize that by virtue of my job, i have had most 'free' teas than most people can imagine..so then for every glass of water i dole out, i get a free tea from providence in return..so then i am getting a better bargain actually.
Yet other times, i remember aunties who had given me water as a kid...just like i give water to these kids. i nurse a fond ambition...someday when they are grown up and giving water to some kids, they wud perhaps remember me too...ah, that aunty used to give us water, they mite fondly remember.
today another though strikes me....now, though i often resent the doorbell's rings at odd hours, maybe when im old and lonely, the doorbells wud be welcoming peals to my ears..maybe tht would the only thing il look forward to at that age.it makes me smile warmly.
come kids come..as many times, as many days for as much water as u want...after all, u guys are my window to a small and the beautiful kiddy world. i wudnt want to lose view of that so easily. and like i said, u are my investment in time today...
i had clearly not known what i had let myself into that day..the extent of my involvement in this 'social service' became clear only much much later...kids of all ages and genders came knocking at all times...cute kids, tiny shy ones, the naughty ones, the restless ones, the brash abrasive ones, the' its your job' expressioned ones, the greatful ones, the ones who buckle to authority immediately, and the ones who are destined to disobey authority ones, for water.......kids who do not respect my afternoon siesta or my poignant moments on the television, and who often wud have caught me with eyes brimed with 'film on TV' tears ...and yet other times when they wud have saved me from abusing somebody on orkut! :P. though i must admit, i had to face the brunt only on weekends and holidays. other times it is my son and sometimes my maidservant who has had to do the duty.
They sometimes come with odd requests...can we have cold water from the refrigator? one cheeky lad had once demanded, to which i had firmly said no..soon i began to draw lines...nobody leave any water in the glasses..no cold water...no using aqua water for washing hands or legs, and no taking water for somebody sitting somewhere else..who wants water comes here, and takes it here, no screaming, jostling and pushing each other for water, no demands of favoritism...the me first me first thing......they took to the rules easily.
Then came the time, when i was bored of playing mother terresa to the kids, and wanted out..I was so tempted to throw in the towel....but the recollection of the smirk always saved me..no il last longer, it made me promise myself each time it happened. and i also had a secret solace..ah, well, the kids will grow up one day and the 'duty' wud end.
..but, it didnt..that is, the kids did grow up, but in the meanwhile new kids joined ..so the cycle continues..
in my better moments i remember i seem to have this curse with water...i mean i had noticed this long long ago, when ever im parched dying thirsty, and about to drink some water, somebody more parched wud demand water from me and i wud be forced to give it away to them...i had finally then decided, that perhaps in some last birth i would have killed somebody by keeping them thirsty, and hence the punishment this birth.
Other times, i realize that by virtue of my job, i have had most 'free' teas than most people can imagine..so then for every glass of water i dole out, i get a free tea from providence in return..so then i am getting a better bargain actually.
Yet other times, i remember aunties who had given me water as a kid...just like i give water to these kids. i nurse a fond ambition...someday when they are grown up and giving water to some kids, they wud perhaps remember me too...ah, that aunty used to give us water, they mite fondly remember.
today another though strikes me....now, though i often resent the doorbell's rings at odd hours, maybe when im old and lonely, the doorbells wud be welcoming peals to my ears..maybe tht would the only thing il look forward to at that age.it makes me smile warmly.
come kids come..as many times, as many days for as much water as u want...after all, u guys are my window to a small and the beautiful kiddy world. i wudnt want to lose view of that so easily. and like i said, u are my investment in time today...
Excellent write up....i guess u have little poetic bend of mind...would love to real your blog again
ReplyDelete