How..........."Daddy" became the greatest person for Jiah
My husband usually drops Jiah at school. Once she told me "Mum, my friends moms leave them at school why don't you drop me at school." I ignored her request couple of times çoz I could not possibly drop her without getting late to office. Finally when her requests were persistent, I decided to drop her at school. I informed office that I would be late that day. We set out for school. I hadn't been to her school for a long long time........The school was far from town and was on the "not so frequently traveled routes".
I was not very sure of the way but I set out confidently. As I drove Jiah kept directing me "Mum this right"or "this is not my school way". When her directions became too loud I asked her to keep quiet and just sit tight........ and not disturb me. I assured her "Don't worry I know how to go" but I kept assuring myself that even if we were a bit late to school we would still make it..............
I vaguely remembered that there were 2 signals and a round-a-bout before I could take a right. But there were a lot of schools falling in the same route and roads are horribly jammed..............and its even more difficult when the Arab ladies drive their kids to school: Road ko Baap ka maal samjhte hain..........Cursing all the other fellow travelers we were going horribly slow.......which was also frustrating me.
I did not notice that I had already crossed both the signals and the round-a-bout but like as in a trance i kept going. Suddenly i could see the "Mall" right there in front of me..........Oh no where are we I thought....... we are well past my "Right turn" and It would be useless to take a "U" with all the lines of snaking traffic. I decided to put on my thinking cap. I thought the world is round so why not take the next right and do a full turn so that I reach back to where I had lost the way. I then took the next right and reached the E Ring Road which would then lead to the industrial area. Using my best judgement I navigated myself hoping to reach the D ring road................sooner or later......
One look at the watch told me that the time was well past 8:30 am. Jiah was already an hour late....... I could not imagine that we had been travelling aimlessly for the last hour. It was then I realised that I could not hear Jiah directing me. One look on the back seat..............there was Jiah........poor girl was fast asleep on the seat............. Now I decided that I was not going to drop her at school but head directly home. Just then I could see a familiar landmark far off. Slowly and steadily I drove towards it and then soon I was heading home.
Till now my ego had not allowed me to call my husband and tell him that I had forgotten the way to Jiah's school. Now that I had almost reached home, I gave him a call to tell him about my trip to Jiah's school.
At home Jiah was extremely cross with me. She could not believe that she had not gone to school because MOM had FORGOTTEN THE WAY !!!!!!. She was almost in tears.........After a lot of cajoling, I left for office.........
That evening from my kitchen I could hear her complaining to her father that inspite of her directing me I had forgotten the way............Later I heard her telling her grandma "My dad is a great man.......He never forgets the way to my School............"
My husband usually drops Jiah at school. Once she told me "Mum, my friends moms leave them at school why don't you drop me at school." I ignored her request couple of times çoz I could not possibly drop her without getting late to office. Finally when her requests were persistent, I decided to drop her at school. I informed office that I would be late that day. We set out for school. I hadn't been to her school for a long long time........The school was far from town and was on the "not so frequently traveled routes".
I was not very sure of the way but I set out confidently. As I drove Jiah kept directing me "Mum this right"or "this is not my school way". When her directions became too loud I asked her to keep quiet and just sit tight........ and not disturb me. I assured her "Don't worry I know how to go" but I kept assuring myself that even if we were a bit late to school we would still make it..............
I vaguely remembered that there were 2 signals and a round-a-bout before I could take a right. But there were a lot of schools falling in the same route and roads are horribly jammed..............and its even more difficult when the Arab ladies drive their kids to school: Road ko Baap ka maal samjhte hain..........Cursing all the other fellow travelers we were going horribly slow.......which was also frustrating me.
I did not notice that I had already crossed both the signals and the round-a-bout but like as in a trance i kept going. Suddenly i could see the "Mall" right there in front of me..........Oh no where are we I thought....... we are well past my "Right turn" and It would be useless to take a "U" with all the lines of snaking traffic. I decided to put on my thinking cap. I thought the world is round so why not take the next right and do a full turn so that I reach back to where I had lost the way. I then took the next right and reached the E Ring Road which would then lead to the industrial area. Using my best judgement I navigated myself hoping to reach the D ring road................sooner or later......
One look at the watch told me that the time was well past 8:30 am. Jiah was already an hour late....... I could not imagine that we had been travelling aimlessly for the last hour. It was then I realised that I could not hear Jiah directing me. One look on the back seat..............there was Jiah........poor girl was fast asleep on the seat............. Now I decided that I was not going to drop her at school but head directly home. Just then I could see a familiar landmark far off. Slowly and steadily I drove towards it and then soon I was heading home.
Till now my ego had not allowed me to call my husband and tell him that I had forgotten the way to Jiah's school. Now that I had almost reached home, I gave him a call to tell him about my trip to Jiah's school.
At home Jiah was extremely cross with me. She could not believe that she had not gone to school because MOM had FORGOTTEN THE WAY !!!!!!. She was almost in tears.........After a lot of cajoling, I left for office.........
That evening from my kitchen I could hear her complaining to her father that inspite of her directing me I had forgotten the way............Later I heard her telling her grandma "My dad is a great man.......He never forgets the way to my School............"
