alone

AND THEN THERE WAS LIGHT!

Up in the hills there was this sudden change in light and then there was silence all around. The birds were chirping but their chirping was part of the silence and there was no movement.

A reservoir in the valley had turned to molten gold. The landscape changed colour from orange to gold and then to bright gold. There was a mist suffusing everything in a golden glow...

And then the sun came out of the clouds and the magic was gone.


*****

neha

my grandchild neha is two years and four months old. she is staying with us for a few days with her mother.

a few months ago, when she was with us last, i could draw her attention in the direction i wanted by introducing something surprising into the scheme of things, like the discovery of a long procession of ants across the room. she would forget her demand to go watching the temple elephant in the sun and would be fully involved in the excitement of the new discovery.

but now i find she cannot be distracted from what she wants. if she says "take me to the elephant, appooppa," she means just that. i cannot distract her by showing her ants or butterflies.

she is developing a will of her own!

*****