Airplanes and Ammamma

In August of 2012 (27/8/12 to 02/09/12), we went on our second family trip to California. Though we visited Lego Land (San Diego) and Disney Land (Anaheim), our pit stop was my aunt’s (my mom’s younger sister) residence. My aunt (i.e., mom’s younger sister) is S’s Ammamma (the Telugu word for grandma). And I call my aunt Pinni (the Telugu word for mom’s younger sister). So S combined the two words and started to call her ‘Pinni Ammamma’ just so he could differentiate between my mom (his ammamma) and my mom’s sister (his pinni ammamma). I thought that it was wonderful logic for a 3yrs old’s brain… But C feels that I feel proud and happy for the boys’ every tiny word, action and thought. I just think that is a characteristic all moms, worldwide, share and are proud of…:-P

By the end of our trip to CA, S was hooked on to airplanes and ammamma.

Then when we went online with my parents (08- Sep-2012), he had the following conversation with my parents –

S: Ammamma, why don’t you come here and live with us?

Ammamma: Why don’t you come here and live with me and Tata for a while? It’s a warmer climate and I will play whole day with you. There will not be any school here too.

S (to me): Amma, can I go to Ammamma’s house and live with her?

Mom: Then Akhil will be alone. He will feel sad and will miss you.

S (to me): Ohh, that is OK. I can take Akhil along with me.

Mom: But, you need to go to Ammamma’s in an aero plane.

S (to his Dad): Nana, can you buy me an aero plane. Akhi and I want to go to Ammamma’s place in India.

Dad: Siddhu, we need lots and lots and lots of money to buy an aero plane and we do not have that much of money. So, let’s wait and see. In the meantime, Ammamma can come here and live with us for a while. How about that?

S: No, I want to go to India in an aero plane. I will talk to the airplane uncle and ask him to lend me one. I know he will, because he is a nice uncle and I am a good little boy.

Mom: OK. But even though the aero plane uncle lends you an airplane; you cannot drive it since you are small. You need to be tall like Nana.

S: Then here is the thing – I will become big like Nana. I will drive myself and my brother in the airplane to Ammamma’s. When I reach Ammamma’s it will become night and I will become small again. When I am small, I cannot drive my plane. So, I will park the airplane behind Ammamma’s house. Akhi and I will sleep and enjoy our time at Ammamma’s. Once it becomes day, I will again become a big boy. And then I will drive my plane back to our house. I will become a small boy and go to school. And then again after school, I will become a big boy and will drive my plane back to Ammamma’s. And then again when I reach Ammamma’s it will become night and I will become small again…….(the same sequence of events continued for about 20 minutes).

Anybody who tried to interrupt with any question was getting an answer only in the following terminology; airplane – becoming big and small by the wink of an eye – travelling back and forth between India and the US in a matter of seconds etc etc. No amount of diversion worked. S only spoke about airplanes and visiting Ammamma. Then finally giving up,

Grandparents: Siddhu, We are very sleepy. Can we go to bed?

S: Tata, you can go to bed. But Ammamma, you stay awake and talk to me. Though, you may lie down and talk, you don’t have to sit up like that. See me, how I am lying down – you do the same, OK? (By this time, S was lying down on his belly and cupped his chin in his hands and was staring at the laptop screen. And then once grandma came into the position S was in, it was again all about airplanes and ammamma…)

...S chatted with his grandma for a whole half hour after that – all on his own. Also, he did not want any of us in the room. If C or I entered, he said “Amma, I am talking some secrets to Ammamma. Please can I be alone when I talk to her.” So, we just left and closed the door behind us. But when we eavesdropped, we understood the conversation was all about AIRPLANES AND AMMAMMA. Such was(and still is) his fascination for the same…