Return of Mantam-isms

After the love story series, I made most of you shed tears along with me. I feel bad to have transpired all my woes, tension, miseries to all of you. So I thought I should write a cheerful post. Here I am back with Mantami-sms. Hope it brings a smile back to your faces 🙂

On our auto ride back home:

Tammu points out to fellow bike rider and asks ‘Mamma, eta uncle ki podechi?’ (What is uncle wearing)

I said ‘Helmet’.

She said – ‘Ohhh, ye Phonics book mein hai na? H for Helmet, ha ha Helmet’

I beamed – ‘Oh yes. You are right’.

Bang came Mannu’s question ‘Ye helmet uncle kyun pehenta hai?’ (Why does uncle wear helmet?)

I said ‘In case of accident, errr, if uncle falls down, then he won’t hurt his head. That’s why. If he doesn’t wear traffic police uncle will scold him’ 

Mannu: ‘Tahole Baba keno pehenchi na?’ (Then why does Baba not wear a helmet?)

Me: ‘Because Baba doesn’t ride a bike. One who drives a car doesn’t need to wear but bike rider needs to wear’

Mannu: (Pointing to a rider who isn’t sporting a helmet) ‘Ye dekho Mamma. Ye uncle ko security guard uncle bokbo na?’ (Look Mamma. Security Guard uncle will scold this uncle na?)

Me: ‘Arey not security uncle, it’s traffic police uncle’

And now everyday, both watch out all 2 wheelers in sight and point out the riders who aren’t wearing any helmets.

 

————————————————-

Another day in auto, driver stretches his right arm to indicate a right turn.

Mannu: ‘Ye dekho Mamma. Uncle hand baahar daalta. Hand baahar nahi daalna chahiye na?’ (Uncle is putting his handing out. We shouldn’t put our hands out na Mamma?)

Me: ‘Yes, we shouldn’t. But since uncle is driving the auto, he can’

Tammu – ‘Keno Mamma?’ (Why Mamma)

Me: ‘Uncle wants people behind us to know that we are taking a right turn. He will put his left arm out if we need to take a left turn and right one for a right turn’

Both say  ‘Oh!’ and nod.

Next day, at the same turning,

Mannu – ‘Mamma, uncle aaj hand dikhaya nahi???’

Me perplexed, but since I know her too well, I could immediately guess what she is talking about.

I said that uncle should have shown his hand but apparently he forgot.

———————————————-

 

Mantam always run happily to show Meena, our domestic help, whatever new thing they get. She talks to them in Kannada and they understand every bit. When they showed her their new bags, she playfully said ‘with a grim face ‘I don’t have a bag. Shall I take one of your bags?’ Mannu hastily clung to hers and said No, while Tammu was still giving her proposal a thought. Meena said ‘Mannu will never give anything.’

A coulple of more such attempts by Meena, each time Mannu would not give her belongings but Tammu would effortlessly give (to my surprise). Meena would sing praises about Tammu and her large heart but Mannu being selfish and all.

One day, Meena took her game to another level and she said that she would take their cycle that day. Mannu as usual denied, but Tammu said ‘Take Meena aunty, take’. Meena winked at me and took the cycle out and I closed the door. I looked at Tammu’s face, she was smiling. I asked ‘Tammu, aren’t you sad that Meena aunty took your cycle?’ She said ‘Achha hua. Ab Jumbo* ko bolenge new bhejne ke liye’ with a cunning smile. (Good.  We will now ask Jumbo to send a new one)

*Jumbo is my BIL and he had gifted them the cycles

——————————————————

One evening after the dance class, we were just getting out and crossing the road to catch an auto. Mannu said – ‘Mamma, aaj dance class mein bohoth masti kiya’. I was concentrating on the road as it was busy. I said ‘Wait. Let’s cross the road first.’ After getting to the other side of the road, I asked ‘So what were you girls saying about the dance class?’ Mannu was sucking her thumb. I asked Tammu – ‘Tammu, did you enjoy the dance class today?’ Tammu says ‘Abhi abhi to Mannu ne bola. Mamma kitna baar poochta hai?’ (Just now Mannu said na? How many times do you ask?)

——————————————————

Sunday morning, I kneaded dough to make parathas for breakfast. Inspired by Comfy, I let Mantam roll small discs. Before that Mannu was helping me around in the kitchen. I asked her to make small balls out of the dough.Abbas had gone out to get fish. I suddenly remembered that I had run out of Coriander leaves. I murmured to myself, loud enough for Mannu to hear who was busy making balls next to me – ‘Oh ho, Dhania patta nahi hai. Baba ko phone karke bolna padega.’  (No coriander leaves. Need to call Baba to ask him to get it) Pat comes Mannu’s reply – ‘Arey Mamma. Mere haath mein to atta hai. Main call nahi kar sakti. Mamma hi kar lo na’ (Oh Mamma. My hands are full of flour. I can’t make the call. You do it na?)

When did I ask her by the way???