Ownership battles

"Appacha ninno. Ithu vaavede buttera," shouts my daughter in glee to her big brother, holding aloft a cheese cube in her right hand.

That roughly translates to: "You go (to granpa's)! This is my butter."

That has my son wide awake early in the morning and a battle ensues. For the butter in her hand and for all the butter in the house. Butter that we hide from him. Since he is on a low-fat diet on account of his lead poisoning and since he is on another special diet to cure his food allergies.

So the food he cannot have and which she can have, we give her when he is sleeping or not around. But it is not always easy to make kids abide by adult manipulations.

Ash gets his tit for tat alright. As he takes his bath with a dash of salt and potassium permanganate to prevent itching, he tells Mira: "Appacha ninno. This is my hot water."

Or his colour pencils. Or his cap.

Mira takes the battle to another front. She insists on wearing only Ash's t-shirts at home these days, partly because most of them have pockets. And comes up with, Appacha ninno, ithu vaavede uppaa (dress).

And the battle goes on....