Peanut

I get a call from one of the nice ladies in the colony saying 'You have such a bright little daughter. She asked for my phone, because she wanted to speak to you! And she knew your number! I asked her how she knew it and she said she memorized it from her School Identity Card'

Yes, I agreed, little Peanut is quite the kid. Peanut came on the line and said 'Hello Mama. I want to ask you something'.

Go ahead, I said, looking around for the time. 6 p.m.!! What a day.

'Why don't you take me swimming?'

Swimming at our pool is only till 7 p.m. A split second decision to shut down laptop and I tell her I'm on my way.

By 6.42 p.m., I'm with Peanut at the pool. She had been waiting there impatiently for me and was nearly in tears by the time I came, but within about five minutes, is splashing about, enjoying ever precious second in the pool.

I didn't get my own costume because of the lack of time - I had to arrange for Pickle and Papad to be out of sight when I sneaked into the house in order to get Peanut's costume. So, for a change, I'm just sitting by the pool side and watching my daughter splash about. And I was just so glad that I wrapped up things and came home so that she could get that eighteen minutes in the pool.

It wasn't a duty at all. It was an absolute pleasure watching her get the max out of that eighteen minutes.

Oh, to be a child again.

Then again, being an adult isn't so bad - when you've got a child like that.

Times three.