Toshal Bhirud

Abstract Children Stories Children

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Toshal Bhirud

Abstract Children Stories Children

The Read Drive (chapter 5)

The Read Drive (chapter 5)

4 mins
117


Why me?


‘Mom … Mom … Ravi will have a reading competition in school!’ Krishna screamed so loudly that even Gopal who stayed in the next door would have heard.

‘That’s great, Ravi,’ Mom said

‘And Mom, if their class wins, they’ll have a night stay in school and get to see through the telescope! How lucky these fifth graders are!’ Besides being a Drama queen and a complaint box, Krishna was a chatterbox too.

‘That sounds nice, but Ravi can’t go for a night stay.’

‘Why? I asked startled. Not that I was going to help in reading, but if we did win, the night stay with the telescope would be one of the best things in the world! Why was Mom saying that?

‘The last time you went to Tejas’ house for a night stay, you broke your foot, and before that when you went to Nani’s house, you broke your arm and made her break her foot!’

‘But it wasn’t my mistake! I fell from the front steps at Tejas’ house and at Nani’s house, she tried to put some smelly oil on my hair. That’s when we both fell from the bed!’ I managed to justify both my falls. ‘The night stay in school would be so much fun, I would get to see through the telescope!

‘No, Ravi. It’s a complete no! I don’t want another broken leg in the house now.’ Mom said firmly

‘But Mom, the best reader would get the world’s best things, the golden badge! Krishna announced. What a pain sister she can be!

‘A golden badge! But Ravi, you don’t even try to read. Your dad has bought so many books. Krishna reads them all. If you tried, maybe you could move from a Tortoise reader to a Deer reader.’

‘But Mom we are talking about the night stay. Why are you talking about tortoises and deer?’

‘It’s a NO. I don’t want another broken foot or leg in the house! She said that again in a high voice.

Mom brings an accountant always took Math’s into account and came to conclusion about possible Future events. But you cannot use Maths in everything! I thought.

Can I go instead?’ Krishna butted in again.

This time I really got angry. Non-violence was going to work here.

‘It’s not for your class! I shook her.

Krishna pouted again and started whining.

‘Drama queen,’ I murmured

‘Ravi called me a Drama queen in school too.’ Her wailing was turning into howling.

‘Ravi, can you be nice to our little sister?’ Mom said, trying to console Krishna.

‘She is a little Monster,’ I said, still angry with Mom for not giving me permission for the night stay.

‘Am not.’

‘You are.’

‘Am not.’

‘You are! Don’t lie!’

We carried on back and forth as this Mom screamed, will you both stop!’

‘Now say sorry to your sister.’

‘Why should I say sorry to my sister?’ I said. Actually, she was not at all a sister she was just a little Monster.

I wondered how Gandhiji managed to stay calm! Maybe he didn’t have such a monstrous sister like Krishna.

I walked off to my room, which I unfortunately shared with Krishna.

Her part of the room was dazzling pink, stacked with books in each cupboard, and Dad had helped Krishna paint her wall with butterflies.

My part of the room was glamorous green, with cool rackets ad tiny airplanes made with paper everywhere. Dad had helped me paint my wall with numbers. Mom got me a numbered bedspread and pencil stand with my lucky number 2.

Since it was Friday, I pulled my no. 5 jerseys from my cupboard. All my clothes were numbered according to the days of the week, the years, and the months. I ran to the park to play with Tejas. The evening was of course much cooler than the daytime.

But Tejas was not there, so I joined Rio and Rohan.

Rio did a great shot. ‘Where did you learn to shoot so well, Rio?’ I asked.

‘I born in Brazil, Ravi, so kickball well,’ Rio said in her bad English.

‘I like Brazil, my name is also from Brazil called Rio de Janeiro, my elder brother names Paris, he born there, and my younger brother name India he born here.’ She said again.

I imagined myself named the North Pole and Krishna named the South Pole. It would be such fun to tell people that we were both the poles.

And I also wondered why Tejas had not come to play.

When I called his house, no one had answered.

So, I spent the weekend playing each and every video game with Rohan, the distracted kid, who was not distracted while playing video games.


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