It was in the year 2003 when I was lying down watching TV with my son Daniel, while Kelly, my daughter brushed my hair. Stealing a glance at her, I smiled lovingly at my 8 year old girl. Immediately, an eager response came in the cutest voice you could ever imagine.."I love you mimmy..I always tell all my friends that my mother's an Angel". I sat up, ready to give her the most motherly hug when her sentence continued "I also told them that you are a witch!". A very soft "wowwww" came out from my amazed wide-eyed son.
Whaa?! I was speechless. By now, tears had started forming in the little one's eyes. She couldn't understand why I wasn't giving her a hug for calling me a Witch. That was the day I discovered that in the minds of my 7and 8 year old, Witches were equivalent to Angels. Angels were the kind ones who protected and watched over everyone, and 'Witches' were also kind hearted souls with the magical touch.
For the next half hour or so, I sat down and listened. Everything came spilling out. These kids of mine were thrilled to bits whenever I said or wished for something and it happened. How I would say "I wish Daddy would come home now". And out of the blues, the car comes honking through the driveway. Another favourite of theirs were during tv commercial breaks that took too long. I would stare at the tv and growl "Enough lah!" and amazingly that would be the last commercial and the movie WOULD start. Funny thing is, I never knew that all these were being very closely scrutinized by two sets of adoring eyes.
Then there were the Monday morning blues. One morning as I was driving them to school, Daniel grumbled that he disliked going to school on Mondays because of their long assembly. It was a perfectly clear morning as I drove. Out of sympathy, I told them how nice if it could start raining so that assembly would be cancelled. Huh! You guessed right! Barely one minute passed when heavy raindrops started falling down and boy, was there a circus in my car!! Yes they escaped assembly that particular day. Thanks to the rain and Mimmy's wishes.
This one however, takes the cake. I prepared a special dinner for the family one day. The kids helped with the cooking and understandably, very excited as we laid the table for dinner. Just as we were about to start eating, an unexpected visitor popped in to pay my husband a visit. Being a hardcore traditionalist, and insisting that meals should be eaten together as a family, we decided to wait for the 'visitor' to go back before we resumed eating. Disappointment loomed in Kelly and Daniel's faces. Finally, after a long 35 minutes or so, the visitor decided to leave but not before requesting that my husband give him a lift to the nearest train station - which was another 20 minute drive from where I live. Huh! I swear that my BP hit dangerous levels by that time and as my hubby drove off with his guest, I sat down and let out a string of words that would've put even Hitler to shame! Once of the sentences that I blurted out loud to the kids and the maid was "I wish that his commuter would just get stalled midway"..(Hey I'm no meanie but when I get angry,,,,you know..!) To cut a long story short, my husband finally got home and we sat down to (our now very cold and unappetizing) dinner. As we ate, hubby's cell phone rang and when he hung up, he said that there were some engine problems with the train which his friend got up on and it got jammed halfway on the tracks. My maid nearly choked on her food!
All these have earned me the 'Witch' title. Was I angry? Hurt? How could I be angry at 2 little kids who worshipped the ground I walked on? As mischievous as they were at that time, (trust me, mischievous was not the word!) they took every opportunity to please me and give me surprises. At that tender young age, they surprised me with Breakfast In Bed on my birthdays, Mothers Day, and showered me with 'love letters' hidden under the comforter, inside the fridge and even under my mouse pad.
Many years have passed and the kids are teenagers now. While Daniel has outgrown his fascination with Witches, Kelly is still intrigued by them. We're talking about old-fashion witches here - the ones with long noses, cone-hats, strange black outfits and brooms - not anything associated with 'Witchcraft'.
These happenings have actually got me wondering too....was I really bewitched or was it just plain co-incidences? You decide. Cheers.
