This is a true story from my sister, Shyamala, Bangalore - posted in sss-global, a forum for the elderly.
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Around mid day, I was sitting on a bench in our complex, basking in the sun. The bench nearby was occupied by a girl of about 4/5 years & her nanny. The nanny was trying to feed the child.( typical Indian custom of feeding outdoors,enticing with stories,scenes.). She was playing the good cop/ bad cop act, saying " you are the best girl" one minute & the next " I will complain to your mom" etc.All with no avail. The child was running,jumping ,giggling ..anything but eating.
In an effort to help the nanny, I butted in. I told the child that she & I would play a game.of questions & answers. Each of us can ask 3 three questions in turn & the other would answer. The condition being she takes a mouthful of food between every Q & A.
I asked her name ,class ,school etc.She asked me my name, my mother's name,my grand mother' s name.By the time I could finish answering these,she got into the spirit & fun of the game and asked me " your grandma's mother's name, her mother' s name,xxxx " She wanted to know the names of all my female ancestors, going back some six generations. She was giggling hard , reeling the questions. I however did not know my great grand mother's name itself. I was trying to unearth any bit of clue in my memory regarding her name.The child seeing me deep in thought realised she had lost me . To bring me back to the game, she told me in a soothing voice" It is o.k. Nani. Let us play some other game for now. It's o.k., If you don' t know.YOU GO HOME AND GOOGLE. YOU' LL GET THEIR NAMES" .!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In an effort to help the nanny, I butted in. I told the child that she & I would play a game.of questions & answers. Each of us can ask 3 three questions in turn & the other would answer. The condition being she takes a mouthful of food between every Q & A.
I asked her name ,class ,school etc.She asked me my name, my mother's name,my grand mother' s name.By the time I could finish answering these,she got into the spirit & fun of the game and asked me " your grandma's mother's name, her mother' s name,xxxx " She wanted to know the names of all my female ancestors, going back some six generations. She was giggling hard , reeling the questions. I however did not know my great grand mother's name itself. I was trying to unearth any bit of clue in my memory regarding her name.The child seeing me deep in thought realised she had lost me . To bring me back to the game, she told me in a soothing voice" It is o.k. Nani. Let us play some other game for now. It's o.k., If you don' t know.YOU GO HOME AND GOOGLE. YOU' LL GET THEIR NAMES" .!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
