“I am 11 years old. I am not going to a kid’s tea party,” I said.
“Little Ria will be disappointed if you didn’t go,” said my mother. “She also said she wanted you to bring her a doll.”
At 4:00 p.m, with a faded brown coloured teddy bear in my hand, I was dropped off at Ria’s house. I was the first to arrive. Neeta aunty, Ria’s mother, asked me to help her set the table and chairs in the garden. Ria was wearing a pink frock and so was her doll, but with a pink tiara.
Banished
“You are supposed to bring a doll, not a teddy bear,” said Ria.
“Teddy is also a doll,” I said.
“I want only pretty dolls for my tea-party,” said Ria. So, my poor teddy bear was banished.
Soon, the other four-year-old guests arrived with their dolls. Neeta aunty and I served the kids cupcakes with pink icing and cookies. Neeta aunty filled a pink tea pot with chocolate milk and Ria served it in pink coloured tea cups.
“Ria, look, Seema has come,” said Neeta aunty. Seema was their domestic help’s daughter.
“Sorry, I forgot to bring my doll,” said Seema.
The kids were introducing their dolls. “This is Mia,” said Tara. “She can walk and sing nursery rhymes.”
“My doll is Aisha,” said Shalini. “She can dance.”
“Mine is Zara,” said Divya. “She is a doctor.” Divya pressed a button and Zara began to talk about types of healthy food.
Then, it was Ria’s turn to introduce her doll. “My doll’s name is Dolly.”
“What does she do?” asked Tara, Divya and Shalini together.
“She has a tiara,” said Ria in a low voice.
“Can she sing? Walk? Dance?” asked Tara.
“No,” said Ria sadly.
Ria got up and went near her mother. I heard her demanding a new doll.
“No,” said her mother in a stern voice. “Your room is full of dolls.”
Ria angrily threw her doll and sulked.
“I wish I had a doll that could dance,” said Divya.
“I wish my Aisha doll could sing also,” said Shalini.
“I wish my Mia doll had a beautiful frock and tiara,” said Tara.
The kids looked unhappy. I went to the garage and brought back my teddy bear.
Moody, no more
“That’s a beautiful teddy bear, akka ! Is it yours?” asked Seema.
I gave the teddy bear to Seema. She picked up Ria’s doll from the lawn, wiped off the dirt on the doll’s frock. Seema cajoled everyone to join her at the party table. “Please meet teddy,” said Seema.
The kids looked uninterested. “Now, Aisha will teach teddy and Dolly to dance.”
Seema made Aisha doll hold teddy’s paw and Dolly’s hand. The three dolls began to dance. The sombre mood changed and the kids smiled and clapped their hands. Seema made Mia hold teddy’s and Zara’s hand, and made them walk. Ria smiled.
Seema returned my teddy, but I told her to keep it.
“Thank you, akka ,” smiled Seema. She hugged teddy. “I will buy you a new doll,” I said.
“I don’t want another doll, akka . I now have teddy and two more dolls at home,” said Seema.
Ria, Tara, Shalini and Divya were ashamed of themselves. I saw Ria apologising to her mother for demanding a new doll. She also whispered “Sorry” to her Dolly, for throwing her down. I smiled.
