My Mischievous Darling

I can’t believe that my darling son has grown so much. He is going on thirteen. Oh my God!! My bundle of joy has grown so much and I can see the teen changes in him. The way he talks, acts, dresses up, answers back - everything has changed. Sometimes, I seethe with rage at his aloof and impervious attitude and sometimes try to control my laughter hearing his remarks, which I feel are too mature for his age. I have to accept the fact that he is not a KID anymore. That is very sad! Being a bright student all this while, I can see his grades going down gradually. He seems to be more interested in cars, music, movies, bats, clothes, internet and other gizmos than his studies. I can understand that it is the natural metamorphosis that happens in boys, but I find it happen a little too early in the case of my son.

Yesterday, he was studying for his science test, and I could see that he was not concentrating. Hence, I sat beside him with a book in hand to make sure that he at least browses through the lessons once. I can see from his expression that he was not too happy. By around 9.30 pm, he told that he was done with his lessons. I asked, “But Abhi, you have not practiced drawing the diagrams. Diagrams are very important.” He replied, “Mom, it is so easy. I know it so well.” I was not happy after all. I persuaded him saying, “At least draw the diagram of the heart once, dear.” He turned a deaf ear and was busy arranging his books in his bag as per the next day’s timetable and getting ready to sleep.

I tried hard to control my anger and my urge to shout at him. Of late, he has developed this habit of doing anything after being shouted at. I couldn’t shout also because my mom was with me, and she feels that I have lost all sense of decency by shouting like that at the middle of the night. She had heard me shout like that many a time. As she was already asleep, I rolled my eyes and let out the order, biting my teeth. He twisted his lips in turn and took a paper reluctantly. In two minutes he said that he was done with the diagram. I was surprised. “Let me see the diagram,” I asked. He tossed the paper at me. God! The diagram didn’t look one bit like a heart – nothing was proportional. He had marked the parts all over. I chided him saying, “Abhi, Is this a heart? It looks more like a frog to me.” He replied me with an addition and a comment to the diagram - refer the diagram above. I can’t help laughing.

For those who can't comprehend what it is, he has added a head to the heart and antennas to the head, and commented as "Geetha Anand - the inhumanely cocktail animal."