“What’s a ramp, amma?” asked Komal, while walking home with her mother after school one day.
“Oh, well, it’s a sort of platform,” said her amma, “which fashion models use to walk and display new clothes.”
“I always thought it was used for race cars. The cars go on a ramp and jump off!” said the eight-year old miming the words. “Vroom-Vroom!”
“Yes, that’s right. A ramp can have many uses. I just said the first thing that came to my mind,” said amma smiling.
“Oh ok! But fashion and race cars are for grown ups...” said the eight-year-old. “Hmmmm... then why did Advika ask if I have a ramp at home,” puzzled Komal.
“Who is Advika?” asked amma, curious now.
“She’s the new girl in school. I invited her to my birthday party this Sunday, but she said she couldn’t come.”
“Oh! Why?”
Stepping up
“Well, she first asked if I had steps to access my house. So I said yes. I said that it’s a new house and that there are four steps to reach the front door.”
“To which she asked if there was a ramp along with the steps. When I said no, she said that she couldn’t come then. She added that it was okay. There were many places she couldn’t access and many things she could not do. She was used to it — is what she said,” said Komal.
Amma now understood what Advika meant. “Is your friend in a wheelchair?”
“Yes, mummy. She says she is special. But it must be tough, to not be able to do so many things,” Komal said glumly.
Amma listened to this. She had never thought about it. That a person in a wheelchair could not access their home. She had only thought how a small flight of stairs would look pretty on a front porch.
She finally said, “Let’s build a ramp then, before your birthday, so all your friends can attend.”
So amma and appa searched for a bricklayer and got a little ramp before the weekend arrived. Komal was excited to see the ramp being built. She even helped lay a few bricks and tried her hand at mixing the cement.
When it was done, Komal clapped her hands in delight. “Now, Advika can come to my house.”
On the day of the party, Komal’s excitement knew no bounds. For the first time, she wasn’t thinking of all the presents she was going to get. Instead, she was waiting for her friend Advika. Finally, she arrived. When she began to use the ramp, suddenly Komal shouted, “Stop.”
Everybody looked at Komal puzzled. “Oh!” said Komal, suddenly embarrassed. “I just wanted to show Advika something. “Look,” she said pointing to a corner of the ramp. Written in a child’s hand was — “For my friend, Advika”. The girls’ eyes met and they smiled.
