Operation 'DAD'

THE PARENTS - Part 9/9 – Operation ‘DAD’

His wife Elle opened the door and let him in. Little Vye, who stood next to his mom danced singing “Pappa coming, Pappa coming” as if he were alerting someone.

Jay stood there and turned around, looking if Kay was hiding behind the door, but he was nowhere to be seen. With a guilt laden smile on his face he asked to Kay’s mom “He slept?” to which, she replied “No, he is in the study room. He is waiting for you. He wants to talk to you”

Jay just stood there looking inquisitively at his wife until she pushed him angrily saying “Go there to the study room, he is waiting”

Jay entered the study room slowly with his heart pounding. There he saw Kay on the study table sitting immersed into the property on his desk. As soon as Kay saw his dad come in, he gave out a big smile and called him in, greeting him and calling out cheerfully “Pappa, come ….. come, fast, I want to tell you something”

Jay went and stood there next to his son with a pleading and sorry look on his face waiting for the reprimand to be delivered. The tables had now turned, and Kay’s otherwise ferocious dad now stood there with his chin dropped onto the chest, just like Kay did, two days back. Kay called out his dad again “Don’t stand there back, come two steps front, and look here Pappa. What are you staring at your shoes for? Look here” to which Jay slowly lifted his head.

As Jay lifted his head slowly, his eyes fell on the many little fragments of motley coloured cardboard pieces of various irregular shapes and sizes lying on Kay’s table. As he looked on, his son quickly started arranging the bits into an array like a jigsaw puzzle. Kay was obviously trying to hastily finish it with the intent of showing off his problem solving skills; his dad however, looked on with amazement as the bits fit one into the other and unravelled the pattern that came to life. His heart skipped a beat when his seven year old son finished the puzzle and he deciphered the writing on it. It read ‘V♥U DAD☻’

Jay stood there breathing heavily with his eyes wide open and now turning teary, holding his chin up with his left hand, both to control his amazement and to try holding back his emotions.

Kay explained “You know Pappa, Amma took a white paper and then wrote this and drawed this heart and the smiley face on it, and pasted it on the cardboard and then I coloured it with my colour pencils, and then Amma cutted it with a scissor to make like a puzzle only. Isn’t it cool Pappa”

Jay looked on taking a deep breath and fighting against all odds to hold back his tears. His eyes were now watery and he wanted to tell his lad that “Son it is not drawed and cutted but drew and cut”, but he had a lump in his throat, more than a tear in his eye and a heart pounding with joy. He tried, but he couldn’t speak out a word. He just rolled his hand on this son’s head and blessed him.

Kay continued saying “This is so cool Pappa. Like this, I can make whatever puzzle I want. There is no problem at all and it is easy too. We don’t have to buy anything anytime and waste our money on that. Amma is so cool. Amma just saved the day. No Pappa?”

Jay was speechless. He turned left and looked at his wife, who with moist eyes and a red nose looked on at him smilingly. Next to her, stood little Vye, holding a very rugged and boyish water bottle bearing an overlaying collage of Ben10 aliens and singing “Pappa, see Ben10 na na na”

Jay wanted to spread out his arms and run and jump and laugh out loudly, but he couldn’t. His feet were stuck firmly on the floor and he couldn’t speak out a word. He just looked on at his wife pointing his index finger at her, thanking her for orchestrating his best gift ever as he bit his lips to control his emotions. She closed her eyes for a moment and acknowledged him and little droplets of tears rolled on to her cheeks.

Jay gave the Kinder Joy eggs to his boys, who thanked him, hugged and kissed him in return for the treats.

Without saying a word, Jay walked straight to the Master Bedroom, where he locked himself and got into the shower without undressing. Under the shower, he cried profusely thanking God for bestowing on him this beautiful life changing day.