Grandma broke my slippers...

We were just in time. As we approached the library a sea of excited children met us. Those shining eyes and eager voices were difficult to miss.

Akka! Rosy miss! We’re going to the park!
We walked for ten minutes on black tar, and a kuchha path with pebbles and dust. I almost tripped over a stone. Then I looked down.

“Jeeva, where are your slippers?” I asked the six year old. He smiled his bright smile and said, “Pati broke them yesterday”.
*I imagined it was some kind of punishment, maybe he disobeyed her and in a fit of rage, she burnt them and threw them away*

Me: “Why did she do that?”
Jeeva: “She can’t see properly, akka. She tripped over them and they broke.”
*bright smile*

“Oh.” I patted him awkwardly on the back, blinked, took his hand and continued to walk.

NOTE: a friend and I, volunteer at a library for slum children. We help them read, with math, tell them stories or just have fun :)
http://ilpindia.blogspot.com/ Go see.