Sick preschooler at home

After 2.30 AM 'emptying contents of stomach' on parents brand new blanket, and falling asleep, I let the poor child sleep through morning and not send him to school.

Let the poor child rest at home and recuperate...

Ok...you get the background. We leave for our respective offices and this is the next scene.

9. 20 AM: call up home to check on poor sick child. Poor child is awake and has demanded noodles/'Lightning McQueen' cake/ Chicken for breakfast. Demanded that mom call dad and ask why he left without bye!

11.40 AM: Usual time for V to reach home from school, so i call by habit. V picks up phone- i ask him if he is feeeling better? He ignores question, and proceeds to ask me why i was calling again.So i speak to valiamma and keep the phone down.

11.45 AM: V calls back asking why i did not speak to him!!!!!!So i listen to the entire rentition of "Finley the fire engine" and ask him if i could keep the phone down . He says bye, gives me a flying kiss

12.15 PM: V calls again. Asks"When you come home, will you read me this book?". I am holding another call, i politely put that on hold and ask" which book, kanna?".
V: "This book mama.." picture V furiously waving the book in front of mouthpiece*

Me: " I can't see over the phone, tell me which story?"
V: * long pause*. I go back to other call and tell them i will call back
"hmmmmm...the....water, pond...one minit....
ah..the duckling going to mama duck story"

Me:" The ugly duckling?...sure, when i come in the evening, we will read it. ok?Amma is going to keep the phone. Bye"
V: " Ok, bye"

1.30 PM: I call to check if he has has lunch,cough has got better, has slept et cetera...
Valiamma picks up and says she is going back to native village( She says this at least 5 times everyday, just so you guys don't panic yet). Apparently he did not want to have lunch and she forced it down his throat, so he told her" You not my friend, you go home"..and they were not talking to each other.

I demand to speak to him, he refuses to come to the phone, wants the phone to be taken to him.
Finally, he comes on line" kannu, how are you feeling?"
V: " Fine....will you get me a white car like buntu's when you come?"

Me: " No, i just got you a plane yesterday. Did you have lunch?"
* ingores second part of question*" Why are you in office, you come home"

Me: " I will be there soon...you go sleep for while, only then can you go down and play. ok?"
* No response*...i can hear him making "vroooom" sounds

Me: " Ok..go sleep NOW. And don't trouble valiamma"
V: " Bye"

2.30 PM: V calls
V: "Amma, when you come, will you get me a gingerbread man?"
Me: "Why are you still awake?. Plus i really don't know where to get a gingerbread man from. Go to sleep. "

V:" You ask the autorickshaw uncle to take you to gingerbread shop, and get gingerbread man from there, ok?"
Me: Ok. I will try. IF i get it, i will bring it in the evening. Go to sleep

4.30 PM: Call home, no response...means they are at the park.

6.30 pM: Call home, no response...still playing at park

7.30 PM: Call home* rings endlessly*, Valiamma picks up at last.
Me:" You just got back from park, so long?"
Valiamma:*exasperated* "You should maybe send him to school, even if he is sick. Now i am exhausted.

We read 'ugly duckling', 'the noddy story' and played with jigsaw puzzles after all that.
Now, i need a leave!So much for sympathy!!

Valiamma...

Today's post is dedicated to the person who makes it possible for me to sit here and earn my bread, write this and moreover, ensures that i do not have to worry about V while we are away.
All credit to my mom ( i think she should be a consultant) for zeroing in on her when i was expecting V. All i had to tell her was i need someone who lives with me to take care of V and be with him.

I have met her several times over i my life ,every year she worked around the house during harvest season, later with her daughter in law in tow. When i met her as V's caretaker, i wasn't too sure whether she fit my idea of a "nanny". But she was there and i needed someone.
She met V for the first time when he was 70 days old...and moved in with us when he was about 100 days old....and been with us since then. She is 65( maybe more..but even she has no idea...so we will stick to that number), a very small kid at heart, and V thinks the world of her. She has gone from being V's nanny to practically running our house.
She had never stepped beyond the confines of the tiny hamlet where i( she) come from, never travelled in a long distance train , never heard another language, and never left her family before...

Today, she has done more flights than my immediate family, lived in two metros in India, has made friends ( and continues to do so) who speak langauges varying from Hindi to telegu to Marathi to english. Please note here that the only language she has even known in her life is none of the above. Her english is restricted to "please" and " thank you" which V has been teaching her. Add to that the fact that coming in from a family that did not have an electricity connection till a year ago, she runs all the appliances at my home..

Over the last three years she has become V's friend and not just his nanny. They fight, make up, laugh, cry and have these very inane conversations which are so funny to listen to. V knows he can get away with murder with her...so he gets double the ration of jellies, extra spoons of honey, secret licks at the chocolate and a place to hide whenever i lose my temper...
She cries when V is not well...goes without food when he does not eat and puts him before her, in everything. She even cried when i fell ill!!!

I may not tell her everyday, but i am just grateful to have her around, and can't thank her enough. She may not be with us for ever( how i wish she did), she will never read this post, but i guess i just had to write her a Thank you. For being there, for being the person she is , for taking on TB , me and V as her family , and for living through my many moods. Thank you!


PS: She is my news source for all the gossip in our building..how does she figure all that news out when she does not understand one word of the language? Beats me!