Monday, June 24, 2013

Daddy's Day In

Image Courtesy: Morguefile
How on earth does she do it? Fool that I am, I questioned her capability in managing the household and keeping the brats in line. How could I have known it was going to be like this?


I manage the sharks at work, face the barrage of deadlines that keep beating down on me, and I thought mine was the most difficult job of all.

Now I see it. By the time I would return from work at the hour when the primetime serials on TV had begun to wrap up for the day, the boys would be sleeping, I would tiptoe into their room, watch their angelic faces deep in the throes of sleep, their chests gently heaving up and down in a rhythmic motion. And I would shush her up when she tried to tell me about how hard her day had been, how she’d spent all day cleaning their mess, when she wasn’t shouting at them to clean up themselves, how she feared them more when they were quiet because then it meant that they were cooking up another hare-brained scheme designed to frazzle their mother.

And then one day when the whining got to me, I yelled back at her. I told her she was incompetent. That’s what she was. She ought to see the kind of challenges I countered at work on a daily basis. Her voice dipped low and she reminded me that she had been tackling those very challenges at the same office where we had met and that she had given up her job five years ago and stayed home to look after the boys.

I hadn’t seen it as a sacrifice back then, and I told her so. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I had signed up to look after the kids for just ONE day.

When I woke up, breakfast was on the stovetop and there was a note too. “It’s Showtime. I’ll be at Mum’s.”

The house was silent, and fool that I am (but that you already know), I rubbed my hands with glee and told myself, this was going to be fun. The boys and I were in for some serious male bonding. They’d realize how much more fun their Dad was compared to their nagging Mom.

I heard the boys talking and rushed to their room. I opened the door and felt something soft and mushy hit me in the face. I heard laughter and all plans for a fun time vanished. I chased them to the bathroom, and fell hard on the soapy floor.

Write Tribe Prompt
The day went by in a mad whirl. With me at the receiving end mostly.

They asked me where Mom was. She had a better grip on things, they said.

Mercifully, lunch was in the oven.

I sat at the kitchen table, eyes covered, the phone nestled between my head and neck. I needed her soon. Or else I’d burst.

“Come home, honey, I’m sorry.”



This post has been written for the Write Tribe prompt.





22 comments:

  1. Aha! That's nice! A lesson learnt for a life time, only after being in somebody else's shoes, one realizes the pinch!

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  2. That is a lesson we all should learn, to not underestimate the efforts or work of another.

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  3. Yes, that's true, Shilpa, I guess we are all guilty of thinking we have it worst.

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  4. Well said, Bhavya. Each person has a very significant role to play, and we must appreciate others' contribution.

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  5. A very different story. Every spouse should realize the other's efforts and not term the other person's job easy. One will always realize when they step into the other's shoes.

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  6. LOL...In my case my husband fares better than me :)

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  7. Nothing like being a full-time mom at home with three boys under the age of four and being told 'you don't work'. At least the father in your story wised up.

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  8. Very nice, Cynthia. Indeed, it's so easy to underestimate the work involved in other jobs.

    Thanks for this post.

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  9. This brought a smile to my face :)

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  10. Interesting take on prompt and how apt ! how MUCH ever strong men r physically a mother knows the best ways to deal with kids I feel :)
    good one Cynthia

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  11. How I want my husband to read this post :)

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  12. Hi Kalpana, welcome to my blog. You’re so right. Often what is required for marital harmony is that each understands and appreciates the efforts of the other.

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  13. Sulekkha, congratulations. Mine tries. :) I’ll give him credit for that.

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  14. Oh yes, Denise, every stay-at-home mother has had to bear the brunt of those three words, “You don’t work?” If only all the work done at home could be computed in financial terms, people would see what a tremendous contribution mothers make.

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  15. Thank you, Afshan, perhaps nature has wired mothers to handle some jobs best. Of course, there are a lot of fathers who ace in this area too.

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  16. Bhagyashree, how I wish my husband too would read this post. :)

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  17. haaaa i would hv lovwed if u had eluciated on the harrows he had to face tht day ;)

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  18. Nice post Cynthia. I agree with Shilpa, its only when we are in another's shoes that we feel the pinch :)

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  19. Cynthia how very heartfelt it was?Honestly tell me about it girl? I am sure this post is more from your fantasy :D :D

    Honestly it was a great read for all us women whose work is often considered trivial. Especially working women!

    Richa

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  20. This was hilarious, Cynthia and yet so close to the truth for many women.

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