Just junior things

Me and junior were on a train to Madurai a while back and we were sharing the upper berth. He was watching his favorite toons on mobile, when the signal ran out. I took the phone from him and asked him to go to sleep.
“Kutty..time to sleep. Paaru phone kooda thoongidichu”
“one more video..pleaaasssssse”
“No. Night aaidchu. Phone neria paathachu. Ippo go to sleep. Naaliku paakalam”
He grudgingly snuggled next to me.
After few minutes, we saw slight flashes of light from the side upper berth and every time it flashed, junior would get up and blink his eyes at the source.
Seems, the person on the other berth was speaking on phone and after a while started watching videos over their phone. That lady was talking in such hush-hush tones that the entire compartment was sushing her.
Junior, beyond a point, couldn’t control himself and asked “appa..enna mattum thoongu solra..antha aunty mattum phone paakra..avangalayum thoonga sollupa..night aaidchula”. I tried to control him and he repeated the same, every time the light flashed. Guess he might’ve spoken out bit louder than he wanted. There were lot of giggles and laughter that followed in the compartment and there were no further flash lights.
For me though, lighta allu vitruchu. Ungalukennada poachunu sandaiku vara porangalaynu.

There is one apartment near home, where they’ve a huge collection of parrots on a big cage. It is one of the favorite haunts of junior. Whenever we go for a walk near that area, we would take a detour and visit the birds. Junior would enquire them about their wellbeing – “mammu chaaptia..thoonginia..chamatha irukanum” would be his standard message for them and he would keep a count of how many birds where there of each color.
Once, while on the way back, he was mentioning that he saw a “daddy kaali”!!!
“Daddy kaali?? Apdinna enna?”
“illapa…anniki video la maha kaali paathenla..antha mathiri daddy kaali”
“huh…engapa paatha?”
He pointed at a house under construction. There was a drishti bommai picture that was hanging on the door. I couldn’t control my laughter and asked him “ithu en daddy kaali solra?”
“maha kaali mathiri ithuvum tounge red colorla vachu irukaa..athaan”
“but why daddy kaali?!!”
“idhuku meesai irukkula..athaan”
I was stumped by the reasoning and was laughing out loud. The nearby construction workers also joined laughter and have nicknamed him daddy kaali paappa.

Apparently his class teacher had given him and his class mates a secret assignment to check if they are communicating the school happenings back at home. The task was to list the items in a fridge. The kids are supposed to tell the parents and with their help should prepare the list. Junior never ever opens about school and has to be grilled for hours to get a word here and there. We were never aware of this task and next day when my mom went to pick him up the teacher had told that his list was neat. She didn’t understand and when enquired it seems he had listed vegetables from the fridge.
When asked he had simply said “idhuthaana irukum fridgela ..athu enakku theriyum. Athan un kita solala”. Answer therilainaalum terinja answer ezhuthi paya pulla exam pass pannidum nenakren !!!