The Read Drive (chapter 4)

A smart girl like Krishna didn’t need an assistant to walk from Grade 3rd to the bus, but my little sister made me walk with her to the bus every day!

     ‘Can we walk a little faster so that I can sit with Tejas on the bus? I asked, feeling annoyed.

      Tejas had refused to walk with Krishna. He had laughed, ‘It’s a girlie thing to walk with your sister.’ From the day onwards, all the fun of running to the bus with Tejas had stopped.

      ‘But aren’t you going to sit with me on the bus?’ Krishna stamped her foot and stood still.

      ‘Why do I need to sit with you every time? Why can’t I sit with my friends?’ I asked.

      Krishna’s lower lip began to pout, her eyes welled up with crocodile tears and her bag fell on the ground.

The Drama began. If she stuck her lip out any further, a bird could sit on it.

       Before her whining started, I quickly picked up her bag and lowered my voice. ‘OK! I will sit with you, drama queen!’

       She didn’t budge. ‘I am going to tell Mom you called me a drama queen,’ she threatened. Her lips drooped further.

       Now the second part of the drama: The Mummy Blackmail.

     ‘OK, Krishna,’ I did my best to sound sorry. ‘I shall sit with you.’ Mr. Books was right – Maybe Gandhi’s non-violence worked even with your little sister.

        She immediately smiled and we ran to the bus together.

I attempted to sneak out where Tejas, Gopal and Rohan were sitting. ‘If you don’t sit with me, I will tell Mom.,’ she said again.

        What a bully! Younger siblings always had the advantage of the “I-am-going-to-tell-mom” weapon.

        My calculation told me I would have to put up with Krishna for thirteen whole minutes till we reached our stop unless our father our mother came to our rescue.

       Tejas soon came up to my seat. ‘Ravi, how many books did you borrow form the library to help win the competition?’

         And before I could open my mouth and say ‘none’ to Tejas,’ Krishna jumped in, saying, ‘WOW…. a reading competition!’ as if the competition was for her. What a pain she was!

      ‘I am going to read more books than all of you put together, and win the competition!’ she announced.

       ‘But it’s not for your grade!’ I stopped her before she made more plans.

       ‘Yes Krishna, it's only for fifth graders, and the best part if,’ Tejas went on excitedly, ‘the class that wins gets to have a night stay in school and see through the telescope!’

        ‘Not fair!’ Fifth graders get to do everything.’ She crossed her arms in front of her and slouched down in her seat.

          ‘And guess what! The best reader gets a golden badge which he can wear to school every day!’ Tejas was so thrilled about the badge and the reading competition, I wondered how heartbroken (sad) he would be if he did not win the badge.

          ‘A golden badge! I wish I participate in this, I wish I could be a fifth grader…… she went on.

          ‘But you are not a Fifth grader! Clenched my teeth and stopped her in the between.

           Krishna’s face fell again.

     Tejas knew what a drama queen she was. ‘Krishna, I am sure when you are in Fifth grade you can win the golden badge. Is it ok if I try for it?

           Krishna nodded and smiled at Tejas.

Math’s was to me what reading was to Krishna. Tejas and I were sure that when she would be in Fifth Grade, no one would be able to stop her whining for the golden badge.

          ‘But what about Annika, my best friend Fiona’s sister? She is a Fifth grader and she read a lot. I bet (am sure) it is hard to beat her!’ Krishna said.

          Tejas suddenly turned pale and chewed on his lucky pencil. I know that Tejas didn’t like to chew on his lucky pencil, but I was sure that he nervous at this time. And I felt pretty that the name ‘Annika’ made him nervous.

          The bus stopped and we all got off.

         ‘We’ll meet up for football in the evening,’ I called out to Tejas but he was walking far ahead of me and didn’t turn around to answer.