~~Mommy Memoirs # 1~~

On one of those fine innocent evenings -

She – Amma?

Me – Ummmm?

She – Why do we need fingernails?

Me (stumped)  – Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm……

She (insistent) – Ammmmmmmaaaaaa, Why?

Me (recovering & strategizing) – Why do you think we have fingernails? 

She (with an inquisitive look) – To peel Oranges?

Me (amused) – Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm……Interesting… Chalo, let’s ask Aanu

Aanu (excited that his kid came up with such an intelligent (?) question for him) explained to her about the theory of human evolution, the monkeys and the apes,  why those apes & monkeys  needed nails and how we humans got them as a natural course of evolution etc. etc. …. This theory session went on for a while with she nodding her head in complete understanding & me, well, just rolling my eyes

 

Me (still rolling my eyes & partly recovering from the theory session) – So, did you understand why we have fingernails??

 

She (this time with definite clarity) – To peel Oranges!

Me  – Okay, let’s ask your Maama 

Maama (amused) – Why Nails? Hmmm….Very simple! To scratch when it itches, Babba!

She (thinking) -Hmmmmmmm!!

Me  – So, what do you think?

She (victorious) –  We need nails to scratch when it itches and to peel Oranges!!! 

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*She – My daughter

*Aanu – Father in Konkani

*Maama – Uncle in Konkani (in this case my brother)

*Babba – Small baby in Konkani

*Konkani – My Mother Tongue