The Last Word

The pen is mightier than the sword, it might be said. Never mind the fact that in this era of computers, one may safely replace the 'pen' with a 'keyboard'. So here I am once again ..... being married has its own advantages. One has a captive muse to write about. And it is even more advantageous when said muse keeps doing things (not quite consciously, but by sheer force of Nature) which even if not very amusing at first give one sufficient ammunition to get one's own back.

Talking of backs, it did me in in more ways that one. "The way to a man's heart is through the stomach" right. Well, it did not quite start that way, but it actually stemmed from the fact that I am such a foodie. So I cooked great meals (even if I say so myself) and had the BH eating out of my hands. Came the 'back' episode and after a couple of cooks who came and went, the third one made sure to consolidate her position strongly in my kitchen.

In the mean time, the one who ate out of my hands has also entered the period when human beings go through a mid life crisis. His has made him extremely fussy about his food. He loves his yoghurt to bubble so he can hold a conversation with it before he eats it. All food needs to be sour. If the yoghurt is not sour enough, he adds lemon juice to it! Now no matter what one cooks, it is not sour enough or it is too bland, not enough salt or too much of spice or not enough spice or too much salt - basically, whatever is not becomes the most desirable state of affairs.

What a waste of having a Lady Anatole in your employ if all you ask her to make is sandwiches, lemon rice, pulav, vegetable rice every day till one gets on to the next phase which could be chappatis, dal and mixed veggies (with the same combo of veggies cooked in the exact same way day after day)! But that is how it works. Not to mention Lady Anatole who thinks we are starving and makes enough sambar to last for 4 days at a stretch.

So it is that I threw in my towel a couple of days ago and told him that he had to instruct the cook on whatever he wanted cooked and on days when she failed to appear he would have to do all the cooking himself. Forget the fact that I am deeply depressed about my value in the house having been brought down to zilch. Everything happens for good. Let him learn to do some real work in the kitchen. It might stand him in good stead after I am gone. Also 20 years of experience tells me that it is a passing cloud.

And right enough it was. "Can you pull out the string in this pyjama" asked the BH this evening when he came back. He has this amazing ability to keep sending one end of the string in while pulling out the other end a couple of inches but the child does not know how to pull out the end that went in. Aha! A God given opportunity to get my own back. Let it slip and God will send me back to earth to do what I did not - enjoy getting my own back. "Are you sure I am capable of doing that job properly" I asked looking askance at him. "Yes" he said meekly. I could not keep a straight face. That has been my weakness all my life. Anyway, I had the last word!

 

Yes the oddest job is having to play mommy to a middle aged man and his mother!

 

Hey Nonya, thanks so much for the wonderful gift. :-D Enjoyed watching the video. Now that's a good trick for strings! Why did I not think of this before?

 

No, I did not know this trick myself. And no, no kids - the only child in question is the BH!