Check out what the Indian Mommies are upto at indianmommies.blogspot.com

February 23, 2015

Bhaktha Antu.

Antu has been waiting for her teeth to fall and the tooth fairy to visit for a long time. Last month when her first tooth fell, we all did the needful by clicking photos, sending the said photos to grand parents, uncles and aunts, getting very excited, remembering to sneak the tooth away from under her pillow and to put some money there. And Antu was the happiest child in the universe when she found the money and promptly we all oohed and aaahed at the Tooth fairy's efficiency and did the needful by clicking photos, sending the said photos to grand parents, uncles and aunts, getting very excited, etc.. etc.. Two weeks later when the second tooth fell, she was nt every pleased that we were nt as excited as we were for the first tooth! And she also remembered the fact that Ashu had got a gift from Tooth Fairy and not money when her second tooth fell and told us that she was expecting the same! I felt bad for the poor kid and hid a gift this time. (A left handed pencil that the doting father had picked up from an airport somewhere a long time ago and had forgotten to give it to her came in handy!) Little Missy was very thrilled the next day and flaunted the pencil to everybody she met and we all did the needful! 

Antu loves gifts and this was proven when she she kept wiggling her tooth and made it fall this week. The third tooth. I don't even remembering getting anything for Ashu after the first two teeth and not like she cared anyway. And three teeth in three weeks was too much for me! So I thought I will put an end to this nonsense but Ashu and Hd kept telling that they will keep a 1 franc or 2 franc coin and make Antu happy so I said fine and left it at that. But Little Miss Greedy kept telling the whole day how Tooth Fairy gives cash only for the first tooth and how she gives gifts for the rest! That got my goat and I told her that thats not the case. 

"But I wished for a gift, Amma. Tooth Fairy also gets gifts like Santa. She will know what I wish for and give me that gift."

"Antu, listen to me! Theres no Tooth fairy ok?"

*Antu starts crying immediately*

(Meanwhile Ashu was giving me a look as if I was drowning a puppy.)

I got so mad but I have had enough of all this tooth fairy business and calmly started telling Antu that she's old enough to understand that its the parents who give the gifts and there is no tooth fairy. And that she's being greedy.

She was howling now as if I told her that I stole her as a baby for her magic hair!

Ashu could nt believe her ears and that her mother could stoop so low and was trying to pacify Antu. One would think I would have shut up right about now. But once I start, theres no stopping me! I kept telling Antu that theres no tooth fairy thinking that its better this heart breaking information came from me instead of her friends.

"You are lying, Amma. Tooth fairy is real and she is the one who gives gifts. I do not believe you", she screamed while still crying her heart out.

I got a bit scared now having grown up with the Prahalad story and Antus conviction was as strong as his! I imagined The Tooth Fairy flying into our house through the window and breaking all my teeth and wearing it as a "Maalai" and strangely could empathize with Hiranyakasipu like I could never before! 

"Listen Antu! I am just telling you that you are being a little greedy by wiggling your teeth and wishing for gifts. And I don't like that. You can believe in the Tooth Fairy if you want but you are not getting any gifts anymore, ok? So don't be disappointed when you wake up tomorrow and find nothing!"

"I believe in tooth fairy, Amma! AND SHE IS REAL, OK? And you know what you are doing? You are just spoiling my fun, Amma. That's what you are doing. You just want to spoil my fun!"

That stung.

Hd was duly informed about my failure as a parent and he took over and Antu got up the next morning very happy to find a 5 Franc coin under her pillow!

The fourth teeth is wiggling now and she did nt even mention it to me once. When I enquired about it today, she kept on talking about different things and when I persisted, she said "I believe in Tooth Fairy, Amma. I want Tooth Fairy to know that I believe in her, ok?"

This time, I shut up.

ps.
Chalk and Cheese.

12 comments:

the three A said...

Lovely one....Antu baby knows her way to get gifts...my six year old's tooth has started wobbling and has already written a big gift list....endha pasangala enna panradhu! !!:)):)
Abi

yaadayaada said...

What a pisasu mom!! Adorable little innocent Antu! Don't you dare squash her imagination again!

Anonymous said...

If this Aunty can play tooth fairy, by giving a gift of information, with mommy's permission, then here it is, from our Native Tamil land. There are 28 teeth for a child of a mouth. There are 28 Nakshatras in the sky. When the child opens the mouth you can see the whole universe in it yashoda! You may wonder Ashwini-Bharani counts only upto 27, where is the 28th? It is called Abhijit, it is the Vega, the previous north pole star before earth wobbled to the new one. Each of those teeth which are called "pal" in tamil stands for "time" - pal in Hindi. Even today the "pal" of Buddha in Srilanka is a toothfairy reminder in Kandi on how the stars are a guide to time and space in our modern existence. The background song for this illuminati story can be "pal pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho, jeevan meeti pyaas ye kehthi ho" It is not an unsafe idea, it is good for a child to learn how time and space is calculated by human beings. To open a mouth and see the universe is just a poetic love between a mother and a child! :) Having said that I do completely agree with the fact that the world has gone insane with great misunderstandings over simple poetries that one who lives in 2015 feels like one could do without poetic thoughts. Fairy world isnt too fair lately, too clouded.

Anonymous said...

(Typo:of a mouth? dont even remember what I was thinking!) ... Just now thought an European version for Antu ... tell her, if it feels right for you, that her teeth are the pearls in fairy tales. The two rows of teeth are like the double rounded pearl necklace that European ladies of high virtue wear - including the very famous necklace of Margaret Thatcher. Muththup pal! :) Give her a kiss (muththam) - the gift of true love, in return of that muththam that fell! :) Tell her the secret of how kiss meant pearl in south india and how it is the pearl of the higher ocean that twinkles! We immigrants have to really get the other ground truths to get the connections! Yes Divya has lost four already, Daya has lost one now - I indeed have told them all these crazy stuff! They do find the canadian loonie under the pillow, the most convincing part though, and it is falling pretty badly in forex market! :) Conveniently I could tell myself "yes tooth fairy thing is truly loonie!" :)

Anonymous said...

You & Antu made my day with your writing and her antics. Loved the Prahalad comparison and your awesome imagination of Boo-vadam by tooth fairy.

(by the way, I have been reading your blog for a long time and love your travelogue and style of writing. this one was too funny not to comment)

-Nithu

Me said...

This is too much! that too coming from someone who had an imaginary boyfriend!!

Anonymous said...

awesome post Boo !!! prahalad comment was typical boo !!!

loved it - BTW poor Antu !

Sujatha

Vidya said...

Adhaane! kaasu giftu ellam naama kodukanum peru mattum toothfairy and santa clausukka. Enna aniyaayam illa.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to Antu's memory who keeps track of gifts given to Ashu...Relating this tooth fairy thing to prahalad's was sheer boo's touch..

-PriyA

Rohini said...

Completely torn on whose side to take. One the one had, I am totally the same way with the kids. Both know that Santa is not real. But have to give Antu also full marks for spirit!

B o o said...

Abi - Lets pazhi vaangufy by demanding gifts when we lose our teeth in old age! :)

YY - There are a lot more teeth to go. Why don't you come and play the tooth fairy?

Kookaburra - Trust you to come up with such information! amazing!

Nithu - Thanks. :)

ME - *bangs head* Theres no escaping you!

B o o said...

Sujatha - I was really scared, I tell you!

Vidya - Exactly.

Priya - Memory will work overtime for all these!

Ro - That was my dilemma too. Whether its right to break her spirit. "Let her be a child as long as she wants", is the husbands motto!

baby growth

babies