Toys for a Big Boys
Ronit Subramanian was seven years old and he was the tallest student in his class. It made him feel very proud. But when he remembered some of the things he used to do as a small kid, he felt a little shy. He wished his mother would not tell those stories to her friends again and again.
Last week his mother’s old school friend had come to see her. They were meeting after 10 years. Ronit was just back from school but his ears pricked up when he heard his mother say in that goofy tone, “You know what my Ronit used to do as a baby? He used to think everything and everyone was a part of the Subramanian family. So he would call the refrigerator ‘frig Subramanian. And he would call the doggy that curled up on our doormat outside ‘doggy Subramanian’”. Ronit heard his mother’s friend say, “cho chweeeet” and he ran out of the house – without any lunch. “I wish mother would not do these things,” he said for the thousandth time.
That evening his mother showed him the toys and games her friend had got for him. One stuffed dolphin and a game of blocks. Ronit got angry. “These are kids toys, kids toys and games. I am a big boy now. My hero is Spiderman. That’s the toy I want for my birthday this year. Spiderman and the spray that makes the spider web.”
“Are you saying you no longer want your favourite stuffed toy – pepper the doggy?” Ronit’s mother asked. “I don’t want kids toys, I don’t want kids toys and games any more. I am a BIG BOY,” Ronit shouted. ‘Okay, okay, we heard you,” said his parents.
A month later, Ronit’s parents bought him a Spiderman kit for his eighth birthday. They bought him a Spiderman T-shirt and trousers, a shiny Spiderman toy and a glove with a spray bottle attached to it. “Wear the glove and then press the spray button. It will make a web pattern on the wall, Ronit’s father said. Ronit, and even his father, were so excited with the spray that they used it again and again to see who could make a bigger web! There was even a Spiderman cake.
After his
Last week his mother’s old school friend had come to see her. They were meeting after 10 years. Ronit was just back from school but his ears pricked up when he heard his mother say in that goofy tone, “You know what my Ronit used to do as a baby? He used to think everything and everyone was a part of the Subramanian family. So he would call the refrigerator ‘frig Subramanian. And he would call the doggy that curled up on our doormat outside ‘doggy Subramanian’”. Ronit heard his mother’s friend say, “cho chweeeet” and he ran out of the house – without any lunch. “I wish mother would not do these things,” he said for the thousandth time.
That evening his mother showed him the toys and games her friend had got for him. One stuffed dolphin and a game of blocks. Ronit got angry. “These are kids toys, kids toys and games. I am a big boy now. My hero is Spiderman. That’s the toy I want for my birthday this year. Spiderman and the spray that makes the spider web.”
“Are you saying you no longer want your favourite stuffed toy – pepper the doggy?” Ronit’s mother asked. “I don’t want kids toys, I don’t want kids toys and games any more. I am a BIG BOY,” Ronit shouted. ‘Okay, okay, we heard you,” said his parents.
A month later, Ronit’s parents bought him a Spiderman kit for his eighth birthday. They bought him a Spiderman T-shirt and trousers, a shiny Spiderman toy and a glove with a spray bottle attached to it. “Wear the glove and then press the spray button. It will make a web pattern on the wall, Ronit’s father said. Ronit, and even his father, were so excited with the spray that they used it again and again to see who could make a bigger web! There was even a Spiderman cake.
After his