A letter to Winkie...

Dear dear Winkie,

I am writing this letter to you to remember and recollect a little incident that took place 3 nights ago. It was 3:00 Am, and me and your father were deep in sleep. And so were you, until the persistent wailing of your Thambi woke you. I am picturing how you must have lain in that sleep induced state for awhile, before finally realising what was happening. Thereupon, you got up and out of bed, padded across the room in the pitch dark, opened the door, walked across the passage, opened the door to our room, walked over to your father who was closest to the door, and tapped him ever so gently on the shoulder, and said...Appa, Sathya's crying...in a soft voice. And to me you said...Amma, put Sathya to sleep. Thereupon, you asked for permission to sleep on our bed and cuddled with your father, whilst I checked on Thambi. And when I returned, you linked hands with mine and stared at the ceiling in the dark, before the sound of your deep, even breathing reached my ears. I marvelled at how the bed became even more comfortable once your sleeping form lay on it. And we both loved waking next to you in the morning.

While sipping our coffee, we enjoyed reliving the whole incident all over again, and we plied each other for details. He recollected the gentleness with which you tapped him, thoughtful not to wake him roughly; I recalled your little silhouetted form outlined in the dark; he remembered the exact words you had said to him, and I recalled mine. And when you came downstairs, we searched your memory hungrily, to get a first hand account, of what you thought, what you felt and why you did what you did. Your answer was such a simple one. Because Thambi was crying...you said. You had a very goofy smile, sensing that you had done something that had pleased us immensely and you blushed. And I even told you that I thought you were very sweet and caring to have come to us like that in the middle of the night and I told you I was proud of you. You just giggled, like you had been tickled and forgot all about it the next instant. So amazing, this trait you have to simply move on. You move on easily, after a huge and raging storm we have had, and you move ahead just as easily, after a particularly happy moment. This equanimity is what makes you and other little ones like you so awe inspiring to all us adals.

And that is why I am writing this letter to you. So you can read it many many years later, and understand just how happy we felt about you that night, because right now, your childish innocence will not let you grasp how huge it was for us. You are such a good Anna, Winkie. Even if, yesterday night, you shooed me away while I was tucking you in, and asked me to attend to your crying Thambi instead, and I got all gooey with emotion, and asked you why you were doing that (expecting you to mouth this sweet line of how he needed me more)...and you said...because he is disturbing me, so make him stop Amma! Even so, you are a top notch bro, my little man. And a very honest one. Amen.

With love and fond remembrances,
Mumsie!

P.S. - Its been 2 whole weeks since you called home, young man! And where were you last night when I called your dorm room at 11:00 PM?

P.P.S - Oops! Sorry! Was just practicing! :D