Mantamism continued

Continuation of the last post with respect to Tammu’s current obsessions with becoming a waitress.

One evening,

Tammu: Can I please have your phone for a while?

Me (Surprised as they usually don’t use my phone): Why do you need it?

Tammu: I want to do some research on ‘How to become a waitress’

Abbas: Arey yaar Tammu, why do you want to be a waitress? If you don’t want to get into an academic career, it’s ok. You can get into some kind of sports.

Tammu (grumpy look on her face): Baba!!! Waitress also has to do a lot of balancing. So there!

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Tammu was going through some photos on my phone and laughed at one particular one meme.

Mannu: Tammu, what is it?

Tammu (holding the phone in her hand and turning it towards Mannu): Read it yourself

Mannu (couldn’t read it well): I want to hold it.

Tammu: You can’t hold it, just read it.

Mannu (throwing a tantrum now): I want to hold it.

Tammu (playfully handing the phone to Mannu): Alright! You can hold the phone, but can’t read it.

Mannu – puzzled, Tammu – chuckled at her own joke

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Abbas and I recently got our general health checkup done. Abbas was asked by the doctor to exercise as he is leading a sedentary lifestyle. He doesn’t listen to e anyway, so I use his darling daughters as ammunition to get him to do things these days J Constant nagging by Mantam finally made him plan a bush walk on a lazy Sunday morning out of the blue. Mantam and I didn’t want to lose this opportunity where the fly has walked into its own trap (borrowed expression from Tisca Chopra)

Before leaving the house, Abbas was bragging about himself

Abbas: I used to be a sportsman, so all these physical activities are nothing to me. I have done lot more than this anyway.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we ended up at a place called the Great North Walk which had an uphill trek. We had to climb a hill which was full of rocks and bushes. Tammu was leading the way for us. Mannu was able to trek with our help.

Abbas: Mannu, I will teach you how to balance your body.

After some time, Abbas started huffing and puffing, he just sat down at a place pleading us to start heading back.

Tammu: What is this Baba? You were talking about being a ‘Sportsman’, you were teaching us to balance the body. What happened to the Sportsman now? Where did the Sportsman go?

Man and I couldn’t hold back our laughter 😀

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Man and I were slowly walking on the rocky path while two fellow trekkers siftly passed by us within no time.

Mannu: Mumma, how come they are going so fast while we are so slow?

Me (Didn’t want to say that we were being extra careful because we had Mantam along): Hmmm….

Mannu: Oh I know why. They don’t have kids with them. If we wouldn’t have had kids with us, we would’ve walked at their speed too. Right Mumma??

Me (Wondering who is talking about whom): Yeah right!!

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Tammu kept going ahead of us and at times we were losing sight of her. I kept yelling and finally I caught hold of her hand and told her that she had to walk with me. She was a bit sad as she was enjoying the trek independently.

Me: Tammu, I know you would like to go alone, and I would’ve let you do it had this been a straight path. It is a bit dangerous and I was so worried when you were not with us. I don’t men to control you but I just can’t let you go by yourself on this track.

Tammu: That’s ok Mumma. Worrying is a part of your job as per the family’s character role

Me: ??!!

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Mid-way on the trek, we found a beautiful natural spring of water. I took some in my fist and drank.

Mantam: Mumma, can we also taste some?

Me: Yes, come forward and try

Abbas: No no, you can’t taste the water. Just touch it and wash your face if you like

Mantam use that water to sprinkle on their faces.

Me: Baba, it’s ok for them to try. It wouldn’t be bad. Natural spring water is good. And they are just drinking a few sips any way.

Mantam: Yes Baba, please!

Baba: No way. You never know where it is flowing from. It might be susu (pee) flowing from some nearby hotel or something.

Tammu: Baba, then why would you want us to wash our faces with susu?

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