A bunch of flowers

Pushpita had small pink limbs and she little bigger than the size of my palm, i.e when she was born! My eyes shone at the first glance of her as Pushpita was mine to love, care and to play with. I was six years old, a big girl now as per mom and therefore, I should know how to tie my shoe laces and also how to put the toothpaste on the brush. Hmmm...but for Pushpita, Lucy didi was still the wisest person on the earth and the best ! After all didi was 6 years older than she was!

"Pushpita", the name was good but only the first part. Little 'pus'sy cats were really cute. They look the cutest when caught by the neck and then swung up and down, their eyes wide opened. She loved them so much so that all her tops would have pictures of kittens in the front. And yes!! she was never tired of reading "Puss in boots" but "pita"..yak...she hated anything bitter..Karelaaaa...So no calling her 'pushpita' pleeese. Bitter(peeta) is bad!!!


"You know, Lucy didi, Laura was crying so loudly in the class today. She lost her beautiful green handkerchief. It had a red rose embroidered on it. Our class teacher told her that such things come and go. How can a handerkerchief come and go??? Is it a living thing??"

Of course living things move and non living things do not. Ingenius observation by a five year old.
"Who is your class teacher?" I was curious to know the name of the person who made the attempt of explaining the great reality of life to Grade 1 kids.
"A Gangopadhya madam."
"Hmmm..and what does "A" stand for ?" I was inherently the curious crow.
"Ahh..Lucy didi, thats so simple. Like "A cat" means "one cat", "A table" means "one table" , so "A Gangopadhya" means "One Gangopadhya" as we have only one Gangopadhya madam in our school "
I could just heave a sigh..

And the other day I had an even more interesting story to listen to. Pushpita's teacher had told them the method of converting nonliving things to something living!

"Okie, so how's that??"

"Well guess what..we just have to put some food particles in the dark corner of the room and in a day there will be rats!! So, thats how living rats generate out of non living particles!!! "
" Not Bad... who told you this story??"
"Wild Animal Sir!"
"Awful!!! How can that be the name??"
"Of course thats the name we call him. He tells us all about wild animals and domestic animals."
"Awesome!!"

That was then. Now there is a role reversal. Pushpita is a pretty thirteen year old now. She loves her name as she knows the meaning, her smile as pretty as a bunch of flowers(Pushp). She is still never tired of calling me 'Lucy didi', and I Am her 'didi' to listen to all the weird stories she can make up.

She called me up the other day on the mobile,

"Hey Lucy didi, do you know how I am talking to you right now, with my new mobile!!! ..and I learnt chatting in the Internet today. I chatted with Laura. It is wonderful you know, she could see what I was typing on my computer..And hope you are taking good care of your health in the hostel! Make sure you have lots of fruits everyday..."