Admission hurdle

I have never been this nervous for ages. Not even when I went for a job interview. But when it involves the quizzing of a hyperactive almost-4-year-old preschooler like Ash by the Principal of the only school he has applied in, I had reasons to be worried. We had drilled a couple of colours into his little brain - red and blue and green (well that's not the colors of his brain but the colors he crammed into his brain) but not black and white - but we never got round to teaching him shapes.
So off we went to the school in the afternoon with a smartly dressed Ash hoping for the best. We sat outside the Principal's room with other nervous parents. Some kids looked overdressed for the day; there was this little girl with a Dancing Princess written in front of her top who looked like she would break into a dance any moment. Some kids wore shoes with flashing lights.
Our token no was 16 and there was a good deal of waiting time ahead for us though the interview call letter said 2.30 p.m. A good 10 minutes later Ash decided that it was a doctor's room and kept shouting that he didnt want to go in there. So V took him out and let him watch the big boys play basket ball. It was tough keeping him watching though, as he wanted to join in the fun.
Our turn came soon and V walked in carrying Ash, who kept saying Venda Venda (no, no). So as soon as we went in we had to explain that he thought it was the doctor's room. The Princi and the other lady in the room smiled. The Princi wanted to know who looked after the kids when we were at work. A maid, I replied.
The other lady pushed some books before Ash, who eagerly began turning the pages and went from one book to another. I hoped for god's sake that he wouldnt take the shapes and colors book since he didnt seem to know much about them. But while the Princi was asking me something, Ash had correctly identified a color, a shape and an elephant. They then made him sing two rhymes and he sang Twinkle twinkle and London Bridge. The ladies said his speech lacked clarity for someone who was nearly four. We informed that he has started speaking when he was around 3. The Tamilian-looking lady said that it would be better to keep him in a preschool for another year. She didnt seem keen on having him there but the Princi, who looked royal yet motherly, said she would admit him but if he doesnt pick up he might have to repeat LKG next year. She judged that Ash looked fidgety and puny and assumed that lack of attention from parents and a younger sibling would have affected his development. Ash was given a candy from a bowl which he had originally mistaken for a box of needles , and he almost dived for another before V grabbed him.
"Bye, Ashwin," said the Princi smiling.
"Bye, fish outside," he rplied chewing his candy. The ladies looked at us quizzically. We explained he meant the fish in the aquarium outside, thanked them and walked out.
The long and short of it is that Ash will make it to LKG at UCA but the official intimation wont come until 10 days later.