particularly keen that he should start so early but after refusing
admission to him for being 'underage' the school called me a few
weeks ago that under pressure from parents they had decided to start
a new section for the 'underage' siblings ! Ruhi studies in the same
school...so all the 26 in his class were yet to be 2 years on the
first day of school ! All kids have to be accompanied by their moms
for a week before they are 'weaned' off ! Rayyan began by looking
petrified of such large social company, after which he has decided to
look permanently lost. When I see some other kids dancing and pushing
and looking like they'd been coming to school all their lives, I
wonder why little Rayyan looks so frightened...he choses the corner
where there is no one at all and likes to play alone. He stares
suspiciously at little girls who give him friendly looks. But of
course there are others who are bawling and creating a fuss and I am
glad for myself...I think back of Ruhi's first few day's in school 3
years ago and I remember my own nervous excitement and also that I
never really cared to make friends with the other mothers who
exchanged notes on clothes and lipsticks every day they met in
school ! I had a job to take care of and I didn't think I fitted
in....it was entirely my loss as I later realised. Over the years, I
had no one to talk with each time I need to clarify time tables or
even work out a car pool may be. I am sure there was a lot these moms
were doing together like taking the kids out to a movie or a
picnic...but I just didn't know anyone at all ! This time around I
smiled at everyone I saw. On the first day itself, I saw little
groups being formed, the ones with the large solitaires got attracted
like magnets, the salwar kameez moms formed their own little group,
dont know if I imagined it but I saw the really fat moms get getting
rather cosy with each other also ! The first day I broke ice with
the mom who sat next to me. I knew I had seen her at the Salon where
I get my hair cut since I nolticed she was wearing the same shoes ! I
thought she would think I was really weird if I told her I recognized
her silver pink shoes from the salon so I let it be. But I guess she
noticed my interest in her shoes, so the conversation went :
Pink shoes : What's his Name
Me : Rayyan
Pink Shoes : Oh ! Mine is Ayyan!
Me : Oh ! How nice!
Silence ( After that mortally scared of losing the thread of
conversation with the very first target mom since I couldnt do a Ruhi
to Rayyan! )
I said : You know mine is not even 2 years yet...
Pink shoes : Ok, when is his Second birthday ?
Me : 18th of April
Pink Shoes : OH ! Mine's is also 18th April !
Now that was rather amazing coincidence ! No such luck with other
moms though. On the drive back home I kept wondering if I looked
ugly ? snooty ? What ? Why don't the other moms chat up with me like
they seem to do so with everyone else ! The next day, I persisted in
smiling at everyone again...it got better. The next day I decided to
say an inane meaningless dialogue along with the smile. Like I smiled
and I said "as usual I am late again" or Smile and " Your daughter
has lovely hair". That worked like a charm ! Most moms said hi to me
today and I think I am going to be part of the clothes and lipstick
group ! Sigh !
