Sliver of light
PAVITHRA SRINIVASAN
|
The shrill "tititit-tititit" from outside was distracting and Sowmya could not help but be drawn to the noise.
|
"Ttt-titititit-tttti-titit!"
She raised her head and peered through the diamond-shaped iron bars on the window.
"Tititit-titit-ttttttttt!" There it was again. Rather annoying, but curious, all the same. She went up to the window, trying to catch the edge of the murungai tree.
"Sowmya! What're you doing, peeping out of windows half dressed? Where's your pinafore? There's only one black shoe. And have you packed your tiffin box? Where's your white ribbon?"
Persistent call
Amma was yelling, trying to pack her into the school bus before 7.45 A.M., but the insistent "Tititit!" grabbed her attention again. She picked up her shoe, and wandered outside — to the murungai tree. There was a small sparrow on one of the branches. And a slightly bigger one behind it doing the "titittt"ing. Even as she watched, it began again.
She frowned and covered her ears. Why did it keep doing that? The small sparrow looked frightened. Its wings were small. It couldn't fly yet. It kept flapping and fluttering and even fell off the branch. But the mother kept nudging it.
"Sowmya, did you finish the notes you were taking yesterday? What about your unit tests? Have you revised? Shall I help you with the algebraic formula?" Amma called out again and she sighed.
The little sparrow was looking very nervous, she thought. It kept trying to get away. It couldn't stand the screeching either. It was probably trying to get away from its mother. It couldn't stand being yelled at, just as she couldn't. And then she stared. The little sparrow spread its little wings — and flew! And then the mother sparrow stopped screeching.
"Sowmya, what's the good of my yelling if you don't ... " She looked at the tree, the sparrows and Sowmya. "Get back in and get ready. There are 15 minutes and you need your breakfast. How will you get the energy to do well in school?"
The little sparrow was no longer miserable. Now, it fluttered about on its own, taking short flights. She gazed at it for a while and then went in for breakfast. Later she revised her math. She realised Amma had stopped yelling at her, and was now smiling. She smiled too.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Young World
