A Birthday Wish

“Mamma can the virus be closed for one day and it can open again tomorrow. Tell me can we talk to virus to come after A’s birthday?” She did not have an answer.

He looked busy since morning. It looked like he was engaged in prepping up for something that meant big to him. He ignored requests to have his breakfast or an attempt by his parents to engage him in an activity. He was somewhere else doing something that meant more to him than anything in that moment.

He had last seen her on his birthday which was a little over a month back. Since then they had both been confined in their respective houses. Hers was the first gift that he opened. It was the biggest one after all. He lovingly used the gift every day and mastered to write the letter A, as that was the letter her name began from. Their moms spoke to each other every day but they only saw the other in the videos shared. He would remark, her hair has grown, she would hold the phone as if she was holding him.

But today was different. Today he felt it was too late and he had to start preparing for her birthday surprise. He was baking a cake for her. He remembered she wanted a unicorn and he tried hard to make it for her. He was (imaginary) calling all their friends to come for the surprise. He was blowing imaginary balloons and assigning colors to each one of them. He was marking the cake with his newly mastered ‘A’. And he was rushing from one room to another all the while ignoring the other entities who lived with him.

He finally remembered something and kept nudging his mother who was talking very seriously to someone over the phone. Something about arranging food for someone. He kept on nudging her till her phone call was over. She looked exhausted from her phone call and in a slightly raised voice asked him, “What?”

He took a step back and said, “Mamma, I have made all the arrangements but I forgot to get a gift only for A’s birthday. Can we go to the shop and get it?” His mother tried to hold back the tears that were going to flood over the two emotions she just felt. One of helplessness from her phone call and the other of pure innocence that stood right in front of her.

She collected herself and answered calmly, “No baby, all the shops are shut outside. We cannot get anything right now.” Knowing the answer, he still asked, “But why?” She once again calmly replied, “Because of Corona virus.”

He stamped his feet and ran inside the bedroom. After a few moments he came out again and asked his mother, “Mamma can the virus be closed for one day and it can open again tomorrow. Tell me can we talk to virus to come after A’s birthday?” She did not have an answer.

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He too drifted away realizing he won’t get an answer and went back to the preparations that were halted. After all, she was turning 3 and there was still so much to do.

Image Source – https://pixabay.com/photos/cake-birth-birthday-cake-birthday-366346/

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