My Hansie and his ABCD kit
He moved closer. He moved a little closer without changing his gaze at it. That was a moment of realisation for me. It was a heartbreaking few seconds.
I can’t express that feeling. May be, it was like this: Young mom working while the child was lying on the play mat. The child cries suddenly. She gives the child few things to play. The child cries again in a minute. She mumbles about her important work and asks the child to play with the toys, though the child can’t understand it. This repeats and her work get interrupted. She takes the child angrily and notices an ant biting her child. It takes no time for the tears to flow. The heart-quake at the magnitude of 10.0.
I was arranging my books and Hansie came from the other room. He saw what I was doing and moved closer to it. He moved a little closer without changing his gaze at the books. “Hey, Hansie!”, I tried to get his attention. His eyes unmoved. Suddenly, I felt I realised something. It was a heartbreaking few seconds that just like the mother realising the ant bites. I felt like punishing myself.
Loads of past scenes floated around my head. How eagerly he was running with the hard board book I bought for my friends’ kid! He usually comes and sits on my lap while I read the newspaper. But I never thought that he too wanted to read it. I should have felt it. I was annoyed when he tore a set of magazines one day. Now I am annoyed with myself. I didn’t realise that he was tearing magazines out of his frustration — his inability to read it. My heart was broken.
I should have realised all these signs very early. Now what? They say nothing is impossible. It is never too late. I am seriously thinking of buying an ABDC kit for him. There will be a day when I need to suggest books to him. I am sure he won’t see Shoe Dog as a book for him.
I wonder how Emma managed to praise this Murphy book. I find it very hard to understand. I might not recommend this to Hansie. Anita Krishan’s Fluffy and Me is good. I think it won’t be Hansie’s favourite. I liked Michael Morpurgo’s Born to Run. Kids at home will love to read it. I hope Hansie too will like it. My Hansie will go mad if he sees W. Bruce Cameron’s books.
“Hansie”, I called him again. He smelled the books and came and sat near me. I gave him few biscuits. He started munching it.
