Vacation Fever Part-1

Vacation Fever Part 1-(Dedicated to Rainbow)

I had got up from sleep 2 days prior to the kid’s vacation date ….sweating, chest heaving, panting; apparently trying to save myself from the mountain of piled up toys …a horrible nightmare in my dream. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids, but we all dread those holidays don’t we…huh?! huh?!...Some one save me from these guilt pangs I suffer now in the aftermath of that nightmare. God!  Grrrr I cannot control what happens in my unconscious mind, my dreams- now can I. Well, it turned out that my fears were a little exaggerated if not misplaced. The kids settled down, to late mornings, late nights, eventful days of extra-curricular and so did I….oooohhh! the bliss of watching a late night movie on TVJ -J getting up without tripping over slippers as one struggles to keep eyes open….BTW has anyone managed to make tea with eyes closed-quite an achievement aren’t it? Well everything was going great guns, when boom events took a dramatic turn.

Chat, Nat, Riya, Reet, were enjoying a ball games in the play area, while we both mothers indulged in our favorite sport- chatting up and giggling. Mayura noticed a small movement near the pillar, and viola there it was!…A small colorful parakeet, hobbling on a broken leg. What a beautiful bird it was and what a racket we created. My excitement resulted in temporary amnesia  and started jumping like an highly animated over grown kid gesturing at Sam (life Guard)….regret  the shock I must have put the poised Mayura  ( Sam I’ll l just have to conveniently overlook and  pretend he didn’t notice)through. Sam managed to safely grip, the bird, despite the onslaught of excited kid. I ran upstairs home for a carton to house the bird as Riya and Chat brought in a bowl of water. I left Reet and Riya in Mayura’s care and rushed to a super mart for the bird feed and a cage. I returned with the bird feed and a picnic basket with lots of holes- This had been handpicked by the shopkeeper, one side duly cello taped to suit the specific purpose, as they had no cages- what empathetic shopkeepers we have here. Well  when I returned with my cargo the kid’s had made use of the time to decide how they are going to share this newly found piece of time pass  between them-poor bird, I could see its pupils dilate and constrict while it tried hard to decipher its fate discussed in an alien language. After much bargaining it had been decided that Riya will keep the bird for the first 4 days and then to share responsibility and keep for 2 days at a time between themselves. However, Riya was fast changing tracks- an overly slippery integrity was gripping her. She whispered in my ear’s “Mummy I don’t feel like sharing the bird at all. Can I keep it all to myself?”  My appeals to her goodness and reminders that the bird has to be freed eventually (once it recovers) somehow dispelled the issue.