By: Sharon Supriya
Joanna had to be picked up from school, than her regular drop from school bus today, due to Cauvery water dispute, Karnataka Bandh. Although the school administrative were keen enough of in ensuring the safety of the child, we still decided we pick her up in person.
Joanna was glad to see her dad waiting to ride her home. And even more glad to see me waiting near the gate eagerly, when she reached home.
Naturally, I was worried about her safety, and as soon I saw her I was all hugs and kisses. I carried her inside the house, made her sit on my lap and while I removed her shoes, I asked, "How was your day at school? Did you have fun?" (That's my everyday question once I see her after school). Till now she was actually enjoying the extra attention she was getting all cuddled on the sofa. Suddenly in a jiffy, she got down from the sofa with her eyes popped out and hand all widened and said, "Mumma, forget school, you know what happened when we were riding home? There was one shop.. and there were so many people who were throwing out things from this shop... so many... they were shouting so loud.." I dragged the dramatic princess close to me and asked, "Oh my baby! did you get scared?" , "No I wanted to see what all they were doing, but Papa didnt stop, he drove zoooop fastttt."
Somewhere, I didn't want it to panic her, so we laughed over it and put an end to the topic. After that we surfed almost all Bangalore news channels to see how the situation was, she noticed me talking to some journalist friends of mine on the events unwrapping, and whether they reached home safe...etc. I knew she was listening, so I kept telling her go to the other room and play. She obeyed. But frequently came back to ask, whats going on?
Joanna was glad to see her dad waiting to ride her home. And even more glad to see me waiting near the gate eagerly, when she reached home.
Naturally, I was worried about her safety, and as soon I saw her I was all hugs and kisses. I carried her inside the house, made her sit on my lap and while I removed her shoes, I asked, "How was your day at school? Did you have fun?" (That's my everyday question once I see her after school). Till now she was actually enjoying the extra attention she was getting all cuddled on the sofa. Suddenly in a jiffy, she got down from the sofa with her eyes popped out and hand all widened and said, "Mumma, forget school, you know what happened when we were riding home? There was one shop.. and there were so many people who were throwing out things from this shop... so many... they were shouting so loud.." I dragged the dramatic princess close to me and asked, "Oh my baby! did you get scared?" , "No I wanted to see what all they were doing, but Papa didnt stop, he drove zoooop fastttt."
Somewhere, I didn't want it to panic her, so we laughed over it and put an end to the topic. After that we surfed almost all Bangalore news channels to see how the situation was, she noticed me talking to some journalist friends of mine on the events unwrapping, and whether they reached home safe...etc. I knew she was listening, so I kept telling her go to the other room and play. She obeyed. But frequently came back to ask, whats going on?
Finally, I said "its a FIGHT for water between two states... Karnataka and Tamil Nadu."
To that she responded with her signature style of surprise "something like Syria warrrrr?" (Yes we talk about news headline with utter maturity and in utmost simplicity.. may sound absurd but we do.)
I laughed out loud and said "Noooo, its not that bad, its nothing like Syria War.. don't compare. Thats too big an issue, this is small, should be over by evening".
She shrugged her shoulders and said "oh! so there will be no bomb blast here, building collapsing and swimmingggg to other countries ..."
To that she responded with her signature style of surprise "something like Syria warrrrr?" (Yes we talk about news headline with utter maturity and in utmost simplicity.. may sound absurd but we do.)
I laughed out loud and said "Noooo, its not that bad, its nothing like Syria War.. don't compare. Thats too big an issue, this is small, should be over by evening".
She shrugged her shoulders and said "oh! so there will be no bomb blast here, building collapsing and swimmingggg to other countries ..."
To that I responded with a little laughter to ease her imagination "Errrr... just some burning of vehicles and destruction of hotels to summarise." "hmmm... "she said.
"But mumma, what are they fighting for?" she picked up the word fight in the conversation and paid no attention to the word water.
"I told you just now, because of waterrrr"
"What waterrrrr??" imitating me. Yes she wanted to know it in detail, and I better talk about it now.
"I told you just now, because of waterrrr"
"What waterrrrr??" imitating me. Yes she wanted to know it in detail, and I better talk about it now.
"Ok listen, its like this ..... hmmmm... Its a hot summer day, you have a half filled bottle of water, which you have stored for the rest of the day in school. One of your classmate comes to you and asks for water, will you give it to her?
She shrugged and said "yeah!!, I still have half of it"
"Very good! but what if its not sufficient for both of you ..."
"If my bottle gets emptied, I will ask my friend Hannah to give me "
"Okey!! but what if even Hannah didn't have enough?"
"Then I will ask someone else who has. "
"What if nobody in the school has to give you?"
"hmmmm... someone will have ... if nobody has then I will go to the canteen and buy juice"
"Now what if you didn't have money to buy it?"
"hmmmm..."
"Ok so you have decided to not share the water at all? "
"No mumma, we both need it... let me think ..." and walks out of the room.
Well! she said she is going to think about it, but actually she kept me thinking at this hour of night.
In an urge to explain her a serious situation between two states and why people were reacting this way, I gave her all possible reasons to say that she should have the water for herself... and to have it she would rather fight. I was also somewhere anticipating she would say my classmate would fight with me and take the water bottle. So that I would be able to explain Cauvery Issue in ease. But she walked out showcasing LET ME THINK, WE HAVE A PROBLEM... THERE SHOULD BE A SOLUTION ... I AM GOING TO HELP THAT GIRL WHO NEEDS AND I AM GOING TO HELP MYSELF TOO.
She shrugged and said "yeah!!, I still have half of it"
"Very good! but what if its not sufficient for both of you ..."
"If my bottle gets emptied, I will ask my friend Hannah to give me "
"Okey!! but what if even Hannah didn't have enough?"
"Then I will ask someone else who has. "
"What if nobody in the school has to give you?"
"hmmmm... someone will have ... if nobody has then I will go to the canteen and buy juice"
"Now what if you didn't have money to buy it?"
"hmmmm..."
"Ok so you have decided to not share the water at all? "
"No mumma, we both need it... let me think ..." and walks out of the room.
Well! she said she is going to think about it, but actually she kept me thinking at this hour of night.
In an urge to explain her a serious situation between two states and why people were reacting this way, I gave her all possible reasons to say that she should have the water for herself... and to have it she would rather fight. I was also somewhere anticipating she would say my classmate would fight with me and take the water bottle. So that I would be able to explain Cauvery Issue in ease. But she walked out showcasing LET ME THINK, WE HAVE A PROBLEM... THERE SHOULD BE A SOLUTION ... I AM GOING TO HELP THAT GIRL WHO NEEDS AND I AM GOING TO HELP MYSELF TOO.
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