Now at this age with a 12 year old kid – you are definitely an
“uncle’. You may not like it – but you are the uncle. But sometimes you can get
elevated. And if the boys in your daughters class elevate you then you have
done something that is a huge achievement.
A couple of weeks back Jispa was at a party. When we went to
pick her up the kids were playing in the compound after the party. Jispa got
into the car and then I decided to play a prank on the other kids. I told Jispa
to watch the fun. I quietly moved my car next to the kids. There were a couple
of girls from Jispa’s class whose back was to us. I suddenly revved up the
engine and let out a sharp horn and braked. The boys simply looked up and the
girls let out a scream and were completely scared. They almost dropped
everything they had. In a few seconds the boys knew that this was a prank and
were laughing their ass out. Then the boys – the naughtiest and the worst of
them came up to my car. I rolled down the windows – we hi fived and then the
boy screamed out – “ Uncle – BOSS”. That’s it. No body said – great prank,
awesome prank, awesome idea, Great, cool or anything like that. For that
fleeting moment – I was upgraded from Uncle to BOSS! On the other window
another legendary naughty kidd, hifived and proclaimed me BOSS. What more can I
wish for? I was no longer a simple Uncle, I was THE BOSS!
Another self gloating thing. Jasmine and Jispa have been at
logger heads over studying. Hence over the last couple of weeks I took over. I
learnt from last year that teaching her school is different from teaching at
the schools I grew up with. we could simply study the notebook and come out of
the exams with flying colors. I learnt that the text book is more important
than the notebook. In fact they make it a point to ask questions outside of the
notebook that tests your fundamental knowledge of the subject. So this time I have
started with the text book and then moved onto the notebook. In English I did
not even touch the notebook. More energies were focused on talking about the chapters.
But the school likes to raise the bar. One chapter they have is on Prometheus
and Pandora and her box. The story goes blah blah blah and Gods give Pandora a
box to take to earth. She is advised by a well wisher not to open it. Curiosity
gets better of her. She opens it to release suffering and other worries from the
box and hence earth suffers from it. At the end – she hears a tiny voice from
the box she tried to shut. There was hope inside. She then release hope as well
as a balm to all suffering. The question she got in the exam was – why would
Zeus put hope in the box when we wanted to send the box as a punishment for all
mankind. Wow. Now that’s a nice question. Jispa rose to the occasion and answered
– that zeus wanted mankind to suffer for eternity. So if there was only suffering
and sadness, they would have fought and killed each other to the end, but hope
gives them the courage to live on and then to suffer these for life – for always
there will be hope. I was stunned. I would expected a humane answer like –
finally he is a god and so he left hope so that his children bear the
suffering. But Jispa’s take on it was that Zeus was unimaginably cruel or possibly
a sadist. Hope kills you more than anything else in suffering. Hah! Amazing. I
told her that it’s a great answer and if you have written it well enough – I don’t
care if your teacher doesn’t like it. Nice one. She said – ya. I have always
found these Greek Gods to be really cruel in all the stories.
I have read this story as a child and never saw this side of
the equation. Why would you put hope ina
box meant to suffer. And a possible reason as Jispa pointed out is not so altruistic.
Possibly Jispa sees it because she does try to think differently, or is it possible
because at home we are pretty agnostic towards God and religion. We don’t revere
God at home. So she is not brainwashed into the undisputed benevolence of God.
She questions his motives and sees him as such – She sees large swatches of
black in his behavior. Very very Interesting. Very different from what I saw. I
am impressed.
Another one on studying. Yesterday Jasmine called me at
lunch. She asked me on Jispa’s science preparedness and if she could get by
just reading through. I replied in affirmative. Jispa was done. After I put the
phone down I was pretty happy. I was the BOSS. Normally it’s the dad asking mom
if the kid is prepared for the exam. Not the other way around. That was the
ultimate BOSS compliment!
So now I hope Jispa is really prepared for her exams. We have
done it the right way. No mugging but understanding. Slowly and surely done the
right way. I was then telling Jasmine – now whatever she gets I will be ok with
the results because this is the right way to study – marks are of no
consequence.
BOSS!
Bonus Really Bakwaas video:-
