The summer months reminds me about my trips to India. As the schools get closed for summer vacation for a long stretch of time for more than a couple of months it is the most convenient time to take my son to visit the country of his parents origin.
This was one of such visits to India. The year was 2012. My son Sidhant was 7 years old at that time. This is a unique age, where one starts to see the world in his or her eyes, understands very few things about life, but as curious as a cat intrigued about the milieu with tons of questions in mind. You know a little but tend to be very inquisitive about what's happening around you. My son was no different.
One morning I took him to the local fish market in my hometown back home in Bhubaneswar during morning hours to get him a first hand exposure to an environment he is not familiar with. For a 7 years old, it was quite confusing and amusing moment as he gaped at the surroundings as people in pants, lungis (a loincloth worn around the waist, a very comfortable attire in a hot and humid climate and can easily be lifted for nature's call and other natural activities). A man clad in Lungi arrived on suddenly scratching his private parts in public (blame the hot and humid weather for that) he asked the fush vendor, "ARRE ROHI AJI KETE NEKHA - "Hey, what's the price of the Rohu fish today" ?
After a short bargain a deal was cut, so also the fish was cut by the seller into eliptical chunks. (Unlike boneless fillets popular in the West, bony fish is always preferred by the middle class in India). My son was intensely watching the fish being being cut and cleaned up, until his attention was diverted to a lanky kid of his age with a lachrymose face who approached us with an extended hand, his tiny palm semi folded. The poor kid was extremely thin, malnourished, covered with dirt from tip to toe and dressed only with a torn soiled pant. His nose full of flegm, his other hand frantically trying to keep off flies swarming over his face. The hapless kid was begging.
Sidhant gave him a curious look, as if he was looking at an Alien from a distant galaxy. He had earlier seen homeless folks in America begging. They are usually clad in jeans, jackets, wearing Nike shoes, smoking Marlboros. Sometime a Budweiser beer can can be seen by their side, the guys standing at sidewalks or near stop lights - often with a Dog by side giving curious look around, which invariably increases the chance of getting a few bucks from a good samaritan. But this was far cry from what he saw before. This little boy is just a kid like him, of his own age.
He asked me why the kid was asking for money and why don't you give him something. No sooner than I grabbed whatever I had in my my pocket to spare for the poor kid my son repeated again "Why he is asking you for money ?" I said because he is poor. He asked "Why is he poor" ? Seven year is an interesting age for a kid, when he or she may not old enough to ask questions, but not mature enough to understand certain things with tons of curiosity flooding their head. I had no simple answer for his innocuous query.
As I was scratching the back my head to find some suitable answer for his simple mind to comprehend, his attention was diverted by a cat who was feasting with its eyes closed on the discarded fish bones, gills, tails and scales at a corner. My son asked "Wont the kitty cat's throat get chocked ?" He has seen cats at his friend's house feasting on organic boneless chunks of salmon lest their throat get chocked. It was surprising for him to see a cat gladly munching away fish bones and scales.
Sidhant had enough experience for the day. I was glad my fish was cut and ready. It was getting hot and muggy. No sooner than the fish seller handed me the plastic pouch, I swept off beads of sweat from my forehead as the tropical sun was peaking right over my head. It was high time to head back home.
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