Reason(able)

"Do you know what happened to Bunty when he refused to drink his milk?"

A small voice. "No. What happened to Bunty?"

"He came last in the running race. And he got a zero in his Maths exam. Do you want that to happen to you?"

"No."

"So, here, have this. I added chocolate sauce also, to make it yummy. Cmon, drink it up, drink it up."

"But.."

Exasperatedly, "But what?!"

"But..Bunty came last in the running race because he is fat. And he never listens to Latha miss in the Maths period and he never does his homework. Miss showed us his paper. He hadn't answered any question! That's why he got a zero. I don't like milk, Amma. Please."

"But milk is good for health, beta. It makes your bones stronger. It has calcium, remember? We read that in your science textbook yesterday. Growing children should have milk. So have it please. Do you want me to keep it in the fridge for a while? Will you have it chilled? It'll be like chocolate milkshake!"

"Ok. I'll have it chilled like chocolate milkshake. Can I have it like that everyday? Complan is yuck!"

Sigh of relief. "Sure!"

Remember?

Remember the first time you took the cycle all by yourself to go to the nearby shop? And how you hit a cow on the road and fell down? You'd scraped you knee, but you couldn't stop laughing at how the cow bolted when you smashed right into it.

Remember the other time your brother hurt himself playing on the swing and came back limping with a gaping wound on his leg? One look and you were bawling at the top of your voice. We had to console you first before taking him to the hospital.

Sometimes I wonder if you're two different people.