Far From the Madding, Noisy Adults

Mobby’s Amma and I are discussing something serious: what to have for dinner.

Mobby barges in and shouts: “quiet.”

“Why Mobby?” I wonder what has offended Mobby’s sensibilities.

“Don’t talk,” he says then puts his hands firmly on the table and begins “there are two lizards...”

“Mobby, we have heard this story. And this is bad manners; you are not to butt in when elders talk.” Mobby’s Amma suddenly realizes that he needs to learn some manners.

“Quiet,” Mobby bangs the table to drive home his point. “Don’t talk and listen to me. There are two lizards…”

“But Mobby, this is not fair. We hear your stories all the time, you should bear with us too.” I attempt to evoke his sense of fairness and equality. And yes, I try to forget that he is only two.

But now Amma decides to get firm, “Mobby, stop it. Go play with your toys.”

Mobby looks at us fiercely and gives us his favourite, “I don’t like you.”

At this juncture, we find him walking away from us to sulk near the door.

And there he sits. Away from the cacophony of blabbering, noisy adults!

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