Nothing's worth the worriment

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

A small matter
The baby was fast asleep. So fast asleep that my mother began to get suspicious. She was nearly having a heat stroke you see. It was very hot in the marriage hall. But the baby didn’t seem to mind. It lay crunched up on my mother's wet arm motionless. My mother, never one for half measures, woke it up with a gentle shake. She was afraid it had passed out...
The baby woke up with a start. He held himself steady on my mother’s shoulders and looked straight at her. He had a heart shaped face and very firm chin. His curls were damp at his neck and his eyes were wide open. He stared at my mother for a full minute. My mother stared back. His eyes held a mixture of surprise, indignation and wonderment.
He had never seen my mother before. She had taken him sleeping from his mother’s arms. He opened his mouth— a flash of pink gums gave warning. Nobody moved.
He opened his mouth again and uttered a decisive shriek. My mother smiled back at him amused. He was fine.
His father appeared from the crowd. He had recognised his baby’s cry amidst the din of a hundred voices. The baby was transferred into his arms. He twisted himself to take a look at my mother. She was still smiling. He buried his head in his father’s side and went back to sleep.

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