The book of snippets

Ugly Duckling

When her daughter is born, she welcomes their Maha Lakshmi with two sons.

"Ma... Maha evlo azhagu la" Sakthi remarks as she sleeps in his lap, "ivlo azhaga yaarum irukumaatanga," she smiles at him over the book she's reading, then he adds, "except for you."

She chuckles and he whines, "unma ma.. enna nambu ma!"

When he finally picks a school to join, she is sad. A mother's life is full of sacrifices that no one else sees. She misses her son swinging his legs over the kitchen counter and talking to her without a care in the world.

But she knows, those mischievous eyes and that curious brain are better off at a school.

Soon, Vignesh turns four and they decide he needs to start his schooling.

Vignesh like the star eyed little brother he is immediately picks to go to whatever school Sakthi is going to. Everyone had already predicted that so the preparations are underway immediately.

As she personally folds her first born's uniform, her eldest leans on the table looking at them forlornly.

"Enna aachu Sakthi?" she asks.

"Onnu illa ma" he says immediately, then, "It's just why send Vignesh to my school?"

"Is there a problem is your school?" she asks immediately, "Is the curriculum bad? Are any teachers or students troubling you?"

"No!!" he chuckles, "No.. everything's fine... It's just you could send him to a better school."

"If you thought the school was bad, then why did you pick it?" She asks, confused.

"I picked it for me" he says, "Because I'm me. He should go to a better school."

That surprises her. She reaches out and holds his shoulder forcing him to look at her face to face, "Sakthi what is this about?"

"The school isn't for rich kids" he says, "He is Sivan's son. He shouldn't go there."

"Are you not Sivan's son too?" She asks calmly. Inside, she's a mess... what made her son believe that he wasn't their child as much as Vignesh and Maha were?

"Of course I am ma" he says firmly and that placates her. "But-"

"No buts" she shushes him. "Your brother and your sister will go to the school you go. If you want to change, then we'll think about it and see what your father decides."

He smiles and nods.

~

"Meenatchi give me strength, your brother is such a good child" she whines, "and you two.. you two do this."

She look at her younger children looking pitiful in their dirty clothes.

She grimaces, "Come.. let's get you out of those rags." 'Rags' were brand new dresses just an hour ago.

She sighed as she herded them both near the lawn's tap. Ugh.. they'd just finished the pooja and now this.

She runs the tap and gives her spawn one more stern eye. She adjusts the knob and let's it flow through her hands. Then, she holds Vignesh and starts to wash his mud caked feet. Meanwhile, Maha makes a run for it.