Keep your undies on, I was told and I...

This morning while I was busy lazying in the varenda enjoying the rain, my mom hurriedly came and sat beside me. “What is that book Appu is reading. Have you seen her, she talks to herself, laughs loudly and sits thinking and smiling to herself. Go look. She’s still in bed, not brushed as yet, not had her milk, she’s talking to her book.”

Standing by the door, I saw my girl fall over the pillow and laugh. Shaking her head and exclaiming “Oh! my Goodness!” Catching me notice her, she sat up and said, “Can you believe this Mamma, Thomas is asking Brenda to keep her undies on!”

It was a glue-in-my-throat moment. Utterly confused, I blurted, “Who’s that naughty character in there?”

“Oh Mamma, you are so funny,” she replied as she got up to give me her customary hug before heading to the washroom with her toothbrush.

“She’s gone to brush? At last. What craze is this?” My mother walked in pouring fuel to the blaze inside me.

I rushed to my bedroom. The husband was on his mobile. Clueless, I paced the room.

He raised his brows, in query.

“What is she reading?” I thundered.

“Who”, he asked perplexed.

“Your daughter.”

“How will I know. You are the one buying her books…”

“Yeah, I’m the one...”

 “What’s bothering you,” he asked picking up his laptop now and checking his report sheets, making me completely lose it.

“Keep your undies on, she says.”

“So.” He was as cool as only he can be, concentrating on the papers before him.

“What so? Do you even know what it means!!” I didn’t know why I was annoyed.

Now he looked up. Totally with me, with that mischevious smile in his eyes.

“Shut up!”

He simply threw his palms wide and shrug. “Okay. Your command your wish.”

“What?”

“Whatever that phrase is.”

“We have an issue on hand…” I attempted again, annoyed with his approach, when he gestured me to sit down. “See, he said pointing to the screen. He had Googled, meanwhile. “Keep your panties on; Keep your undergarments on…” 

He read aloud, “It’s slang usage. It means composure. It means keep your calm.”

“Okay now?” he asked, getting back to his work. “I have to send an urgent report. Until then keep your’s on.”

Like a deflated tyre, I shriveled in shame.  

“Hope you didn’t say anything unwanted to her,” he asked throwing a side glance.

“I think I did but then…” before I could complete our li’l girl walked in and stopped in her tracks, “What happened Mamma? Why do you look like you have klunk on your face?”

“Wh…w..at on my face?”

“Poop! Don’t you know that?”

“Can you please speak normal English.”

“Oh my Goodness! This is normal English in ‘MazeRunner’.

The books that kept my girl busy during the holidays

“Stop reading those crap books of yours. Don’t you have anything better…”

“Okayies, okayies, chill Mamma, keep your undies on!”

“I said stop it, will you”

“Papa,” she whispered, “What happened?” she asked snuggling beside him.

“Mamma got up with a migraine. Leave her alone!” He whispered back.