Troughs And Crests Of Life…

“Are Unicorns real Mumma?” she questioned. Tushita, my ingenious 4-year-old has chosen the oddest time late night (yet again), to ask me something that she has asked multiple times in the last 2 glorious rhetoric years of her life.

“Aaahh… well …” I deliberate.

Shriyadita, my ever curious 7-year-old barges into the conversation uninvited “Don’t worry Mumma, I will answer that. Yes. Unicorns are real. I will explain it a bit more.” She continues creating enough drama through her visible display of knowledge on the subject.

“Well, unicorns in the real world are nothing but animals like horses, goats and sheep with a horn, hiding in a far-off forest. And Tushita, before you ask…this forest is not found in India so its like really far okk!” She declares mindful of how foresighted she has been.

I wouldn’t have done that. I mean really. I wouldn’t have dared to lock horns with Tushita, the baby shark of this family, who by now is clearly upset by the fact that the other party knows more than her. A baby shark is at the end of the day, a shark after all!

“And I know more about Unicorns. I can share my knowledge if any one of you is interested!” our in-house subject matter expert rolls out the offer. I obviously have no interest in the said subject and am contemplating ways to politely decline the offer when our baby shark accepts it without no further ado.

“What? What do you know extra? Tell me.” She asks, more worried, and less interested about the rising IQ level of our subject matter expert. That our subject matter expert is 3 years elder to the baby shark, does not count at all!

Our subject matter expert gives us the following eye-opening, mind-boggling and soul screeching

piece of information:

Unicorn = Is a horse with a horn on the forehead.

Earth pony= Is a normal pony. No horn, no wings.

Pegasus = Is a horse with wings. No horn.

Allicorn = This is a combination of Unicorn+ Earth Pony + Pegasus. Obviously, it has wings and a horn.

As soon as these startling pearls of wisdom permeate my entire being I consider this to be a good time to put an end to this never-ending discussion… monologue really. Our subject matter expert is all geared up to enlighten us more as is evident by her upright stance on the bed.

Alas! My thoughts are not even half as smart and swift as our baby shark. Baby shark has been looking for an opportunity to challenge the subject matter expert.

“Rainbow. Let’s talk about a rainbow! I know it has 7 colors. And I know all the 7 colors. What do you know? Can you tell if its real?” Baby Shark is preparing to take our subject matter expert head on, who now has a condescending smile on her lips.

“Well, a rainbow isn’t really a thing. It appears after the rain ends and the sun comes out. Actually, when the sunlight bends within the water droplets a rainbow appears. Its not really real. I have seen rainbows in the wash basin also when light fell on it at a particular angle! I am not kidding!” our subject matter expert’s monologue suddenly makes us look like fools.

Baby shark is clearly infuriated for two reasons. One, the explanation seems beyond her comprehension. Rainbows in a wash basin!! What is she talking about?  Two, despite point number one, she seems correct, which meant that subject matter expert …is the boss.

I on the other hand am surprisingly pleased with whatever I heard. Of course, I have zero contribution in this but that makes it even more praiseworthy.

“Hey, I did not know, you knew all that. Quite cool!” I complement our expert who is beaming under that praise now.

“Mumma, I want to sleep on you. I am feeling cold.” Says the baby shark now wanting to cuddle and sleep. She obviously has no intent of engaging in any further dialogue with the expert or listening to the expert getting praised.

I pull her closer to me and wrap her in my arms under the blanket. Even with the heater on, it still is piercingly cold.

“O Mumma, you are soo hot. I really like your hotness!” She says hugging me tightly. She means I am warm, and she likes the warmth of my embrace. But I absolutely don’t mind being called HOT! The expert and me burst out laughing.

This is the loudest I have laughed in a very long time.

The past few days haven’t been very kind. One full week of lying-in bed, battling a high-grade fever and a bone breaking viral infection in this biting cold has left me fatigued like never before. I cannot recollect when I was this sick in the last two decades. And when the road to recovery seemed near, our expert, my elder one tripped on the staircase and injured herself.

Four stitches on the head and 2 panic stricken nights later, she and I both have laughed our hearts out tonight.

I shall remember this night. Real or not, I shall always remember how the Unicorns, Pegasus, Alicorns and Rainbows came to my rescue through my children, only to make me laugh. Apparently, you always have things and people to smile about. Through the many troughs of our life, those are the crests to watch out for. Because in those momentary crests you shall discover the little joys of life.

PICTURE CREDITS: PIXABAY