Taking the first giant step

Ammu had her first solo travel without her parents at the age of 6. To Wayanad along with her Montessori school classmates, principal and teachers. Her teachers had a rule. Parents weren't allowed to call. The children would call us a pre-determined time. 

Was there anxiety? Well, it was to be the first time that Ammu would spend a night without either of us. Would she be fine? She never stayed over at her friend's house nor with her aunts, She always insisted on coming back with us, or getting her friends to stay over. 

Travel was not a concern. Ammu is a travel veteran. She has been on the road with the two of us ever since she was 90 days old. One hell of a travel companion. She even knew the pit stops and relieved there on cue. Ammu in the car seat besides me at the back was a constant as we travelled every other week.    

I hadn't heard her voice the whole day, and then late evening, I heard her voice. Wow, it felt nice. Ammu's opening line was "Ma, I didn't think of you the whole day." Hmmm.... She then told me how she had come outside the hotel to call as it would be expensive to call from there. What a lovely way to communicate the concept of frugality to young children. I have been a life long admirer of the school principal Bharati and her teacher Jayashree. Kind, compassionate, and amazing teachers and human beings. 

It was brief call. Others had to call their parents too. So, she couldn't speak for long. She ended by telling me to ask Chandru to call her later as he wasn't home when she called. Ammu has taken the first adult step. Of being on her own, with her friends.

Ammu came back with very many stories. Of standing in Papanashi river in her swimsuit; near the place accha stood in order to pray to departed souls and wash away their sins. Of how the natural tank in Edakkal Caves did not have clean and flowing water like the last time that she was there with us. 

Visiting her best friends' grandparent's house in a place called Ambalavayal in Wayanad, and how all she saw was pepper. She described it as a wallpaper of pepper. Not totally off the mark because all trees had pepper vines growing on them.

She bought a wooden curd/butter churner (not sure what it is called...) for me and showed it to me proudly. When I asked her, what else she got for me, she fixed me a look and said, "I did not buy anything for me--only for you." Ahem.

Even as a little girl, she had a certain calmness and an assuredness about her. It's funny when you feel happy and sad at the same time. I am sure she will travel more in the days to come without us, and will acquire her own perspectives, and not be saddled with my petty prejudices.

FG