Land of Lilliputians

“I need a lota, I want to make a rooster out of it,” Omar informs me. I tell him it seems too far-fetched an idea. But Omar is adamant, even surprised that I can’t see the obvious. “It is a ready-made rooster; you just need to do a little bit of work. Just look at this, it’s a rooster’s neck,” Omar brings a lota and points towards the spout. I try to see it with Omar’s eyes and yes…the lota does seem like a rooster in making. And then, I am put to work. A bottle of glue, a paintbrush, a cotton roll, and some chart paper are placed before me. And I am told to follow the instructions. “Now with the help of this paintbrush cover the lota with glue, don’t leave any uncovered area,” Omar instructs and warns. I set to work, diligently so. Obediently I follow the instructions that are constantly being hammered into my ears. Lovingly I make the rooster’s white round body (it’s a fat rooster) and triangular face, tenderly I fashion its wattle, its comb, and its tai...

 I hide inside my blanket and listen to the rain knocking on my window panes. Flu always makes me want to hide somewhere dark and warm. A hangover from my prenatal life, I guess.  Omar comes and snuggles into my bed. “You are so boring! Why are you sleeping?” he asks. “Yes, boring and not well,” I murmur from inside my cocoon. “What should I do?” Omar asks and then defines the boundaries within which my answer should fall, “just don’t tell me to do these three things: sleep, eat, study.” This is Omar’s standard question. A constant refrain that we hear throughout the day and, if he is awake, at night too. “Okay. Maybe you can stand upside down and look at the world in a new way,” I say and emerge from the darkness of my shell to face Omar’s glare. “It works,” I tell him from my own experience. “No, suggest something else. I am bored.” “Listen to the rain and think about the children who don’t have a warm bed to snuggle into,” I try to change...