While returning from school, my second one started narrating a never-ending story about his friend's short temper. It started as a single episode - the friend refused to accept the verdict given by the toss (after my son refused to do so first, by the way) and how he shouted and how my son calmly ordered him to be quiet, etc.
What promised to remain the long and short of it became longer. As is always the case with these episodes, there is a ripple effect and the fight continued into episode 2, 3, 4 - with commercial breaks and asides from me and my older one. Even after reaching home, flashback and box items continued to be published. And he has assured me that there will be more.
Because they had declared Monday as the day for starting World War 3!
"What, you are declaring it in class VI! I did it in IV," I said, disappointed at how slow boys were, really. My mind's eye already zipped to my past. My class teacher peering at the exam time-table pasted to the wooden board in the classroom and her eyes widening at the single, ominous word written there - 'Poar', War in Tamil, against the last exam date: Apr 19.
"What war?" she asked, puzzled.
Embarrassed the two aggressors got up - yours truly and the classmate who had agreed to settle our differences with a battle to end all battles. Only, as I wrote my final exams, I wondered whether I was required to bring elephants and horses to the battle. What would be my chosen weapon? Where would the battlefield be?
"No, no, we cannot have this!" the poor lady tried to dissuade us.
"No ma'am we cannot back out at this stage," we replied vehemently. All of 10 paise was involved in this rather embarrassing eventuality of turning our backs to the impending battle.
"10 p? I will give that to the two of you," my teacher pleaded in right earnest.
I was horrified. She was my favourite teacher and there was no question of my making her pay. "No, no, teacher (for that's how we addressed our teachers to avoid any ambiguity), we will cancel the war..."
And Apr 19 passed peacefully not only for the world but for me too. Readying an army within a short time would have been a challenge!
My son and his friends only want petroleum and kerosene to fight their battle. I don't know how they intend to actually use it - sort of like Holi with chemical liquid?
Or, maybe, it being a weekend, cooler tempers will prevail.
What promised to remain the long and short of it became longer. As is always the case with these episodes, there is a ripple effect and the fight continued into episode 2, 3, 4 - with commercial breaks and asides from me and my older one. Even after reaching home, flashback and box items continued to be published. And he has assured me that there will be more.
Because they had declared Monday as the day for starting World War 3!
"What, you are declaring it in class VI! I did it in IV," I said, disappointed at how slow boys were, really. My mind's eye already zipped to my past. My class teacher peering at the exam time-table pasted to the wooden board in the classroom and her eyes widening at the single, ominous word written there - 'Poar', War in Tamil, against the last exam date: Apr 19.
"What war?" she asked, puzzled.
Embarrassed the two aggressors got up - yours truly and the classmate who had agreed to settle our differences with a battle to end all battles. Only, as I wrote my final exams, I wondered whether I was required to bring elephants and horses to the battle. What would be my chosen weapon? Where would the battlefield be?
"No, no, we cannot have this!" the poor lady tried to dissuade us.
"No ma'am we cannot back out at this stage," we replied vehemently. All of 10 paise was involved in this rather embarrassing eventuality of turning our backs to the impending battle.
"10 p? I will give that to the two of you," my teacher pleaded in right earnest.
I was horrified. She was my favourite teacher and there was no question of my making her pay. "No, no, teacher (for that's how we addressed our teachers to avoid any ambiguity), we will cancel the war..."
And Apr 19 passed peacefully not only for the world but for me too. Readying an army within a short time would have been a challenge!
My son and his friends only want petroleum and kerosene to fight their battle. I don't know how they intend to actually use it - sort of like Holi with chemical liquid?
Or, maybe, it being a weekend, cooler tempers will prevail.
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