This is a blog post from
Oct 11
Dear Diary,
Sorry I haven’t written to you in so long. Or is it written IN you? Gah! Prepositions.
Exams are going on. That’s why. English was awesome. Math was ok. I did well only, but sometimes I don’t know what is the use of learning all these complicated equations. Where will I use divisibility and all when I grow up.
And why does winning matter so much? Can’t we just have fun? Appa and Amma make such a big deal when I don’t get first rank. And Maths — don’t even ask. One mark less and one big lecture.
Najju Pati said that Education is the root cause of all evil. That didn’t make sense to me. But competition sure is the biggest killjoy. Sometimes I have to mug up things just for first rank sakes. That totally takes the joy out of learning.
I read some article in the magazine about a school with no rules. It seems the kids don’t even have to attend classes. Wonder what it would be like. How will they learn anything? God knows.
Ok. Now back to History. Battle this. Battle that. Nothing about peace. And then these grown-ups sit on their sofas and complain about war and murder and terrorism.
That day Sundaram Uncle was saying that the world is going to the dogs. How wrong! Dogs are cute. The world is going to grown-ups with guns.
Ok. Happy thought. The methi seeds have started mushrooming. Yay!
Yours exam-tension-ly,
Nila
P.s. I hope Madhu is ok. She had a big blue bruise on her face. She says she fell down but I think it’s something else.
Oct 30
Dear Diary,
Exams over. Happa!
Poo and Rads are coming home for a sleepover. I asked Madhu also because she looked so sad. But her dad didn’t give permission.
Now to go snack-shopping. Amma said yes to pizza. Yay!
Najju Paati has promised surprise movie screening also. Double yay!
Yours jumping-with-excitement-ly,
Nila
Nov 3
Dear Diary,
What is wrong with this world! It’s as if people are bent on being cruel.
Madhu told us about her dad yesterday. Such a monster! It seems he comes home drunk every other night and shouts at Aunty. Sometimes he beats her also. Madhu usually hides in her bathroom. But last week, Aunty wasn’t at home and Madhu opened the door so he started shouting at her. When she started crying, he said that she’s just like her mother and slapped her face. That was the bruise.
I asked her why he drinks. She said she doesn’t know. It seems he doesn’t go to office also. Only Aunty goes. He just sits in his room all day watching TV, goes to the bar in the evening, and beats his wife and daughter at night.
I asked Anu Didi why she drinks. She said it gives her a happy high. But when I told her about Madhu’s dad and asked why he was beating his family when he is supposed to be happy, she didn’t have an answer.
Then I asked my favourite encyclopedia. Najju Paati said it’s because people like him are sad or angry or scared. And that they are trying to forget all this. So they drink. But that makes them lose control of their senses and they sometimes take their anger out through violence.
I asked if there are many dads like Madhu’s dad. She said, “There are millions of them, Nila.”
Millions!
Why can’t they just ban alcohol then? Najju Paati said they won’t because it doesn’t make business sense. Also, it would be dictatorial.
I don’t know what that means.
These grown-ups are strange.
They want peace but they make guns.
They want peace but they sell alcohol to people who beat up their wives and daughters.
They want peace but they do nothing about it except sit and complain about the government ALL THE TIME.
Whenever I want peace, I just go play with the puppies in the garage.
That’s what these grown-ups also should do. Idiots.
Tomorrow I’m going to send a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to ban alcohol and guns and gift a puppy to every family. I’ll tell Poo and Rads also to write a letter.
Maybe I should also ask him to punish people who sit on sofas and complain.
Yours sad-but-also-hopeful-ly,
Nila
