Miraspeak

Yesterday being Gandhi Jayanti the father and daughter are at home enjoying a public holiday. The mother is at work enjoying overtime wages.
Since Mira has been clamouring to go for a walk (nakkaan ponam, she says), the father takes her out in the evening. He sees a puddle and offers to carry her for a while. Thereafter she insists on being carried. My feet will get dirty, she says.
Then what is the purpose of walking, says the father and puts her down.
A car comes in that quiet street and V decides to carry her again. Vandi icchum (vehicle will hit me) she says and refuses to leave her lofty perch. The father makes her see reason again.
After a while she says: "Appa, I am sweating. Please switch on the ac."
The pleasures of walking with a modern-day toddler.

Later in the night, she finds her father pouring over a book. She is bored. The nanny is either reading or preparing for bed. The father entertains her for a while later and goes back to his book. "Oh! you reading again?" she asks aghast.
When I call her, she tells me: "Amma, come fast. Put Tintin for me."
I disappoint her though. No, I come soon after she entreats but it is too late to watch Tintin. There is a tantrum until the father comes to resolve it. She recites Psalm 23 and goes off to sleep on my arm. Happily ever after.