Baby Talk

Lessons from the Kiddo – Twenty minutes in the Bus

It was a usual Mumbai morning when I boarded a local bus. After some time I started hearing some chuckles from nearby. It was a baby, who was chattering around. I saw that a Muslim family had boarded the bus and that baby was with them; in his father’s hands. They had not got a seat yet and hence were standing. Then I heard some more noises, and found it was his little sister standing on her own. They were five of them – father, mother, baby boy, his little sister, and a lady in a burqa. The baby boy would be around one and a half years old and the girl would be of around three and a half or four. I looked up from my seat to get to see him clearly. He was a very cute little baby and he kept babbling; perhaps he was talking to his father. I couldn’t stop but smile wide, looking at him. Now the baby noticed me smiling at him! Our eyes met for some moments and all of a sudden, he jumped to get into my lap, with his both arms stretched towards me! His father stopped him from falling into my lap, as I sighed and looked away… After next stop they got a vacant seat just in front of mine and the two ladies with the two babies occupied it. Now, the real fun began…

After hyperactively doing a lot of things and making lots of noises, accidentally the baby boy snatched his sister’s hair. His sister was a baby too and she couldn’t tolerate this insult; so she pulled his hair in return! It was an uncomfortable sight, to see a two year old baby’s small hair being pulled up… The boy was shocked and couldn’t react for some moments, but when he realised what was done to him by his sister, he made a crying face! A moment later, his hands reached out to his sister’s hair and he pulled her hair with all his energy! The girl tried to protect herself, all the while she reached for his head again! This continued for some uncomfortable five minutes while their amused parents watched them fighting… Then the kids were separated and made to stop their bitter fight.

Suddenly, the baby boy found a stainless steel strip of the nearby window interesting enough. It was a shining piece, almost like a mirror. As soon as the kid found it attractive, he reached out at it with his open mouth and started licking it! I sighed and saw him with awe…

Twenty minutes in the bus with the kids, I saw so many emotions in the play… Baby tried to talk to his father with his babbles… As soon as the baby saw a friendly person in me, he tried to leap into my lap… When he hit his sister, she retaliated with equal force and he too went into a ‘hairy’ war with her… As soon as he found a piece of steel amusing enough, he ran to feel it with his mouth… So humane and so natural…

I realised that feelings of we loving others (him talking to father), our need to be loved (he running into my lap), to retaliate and hit back (fights between him and his sister), to enjoy nice things we find in life (he licking the shining steel), are just some very humane and natural ways we act like…

There is no mistake in we over-stretching ourselves a bit to love others; there is no wrong in seeking love from others; no harm in hitting back in defence; and no sin in enjoying good things we have in life…

Life should be lived naturally, humanly, and baby-like…

(Rahul)

Wishing you a very Happy and Prosperous Diwali! May this festival of lights bring loads of happiness and positive things to you…