“Sneha, Sneha Come here” Appan was screaming and he sounded angry.
I tried to think fast, I have not been naughty, I haven’t broken anything, then why was he angry. I walked inside and went to where Appan was standing. ”Oh my God” I thought “the statues”. He was standing in front of the cupboard and holding the broken statue, the rest of them were on the table. I held my breath terrified, knowing that I was going to be the recipient of Appan full terrible fury. But instead he asked calmly, “What happened? Did you break this?” holding the broken statue out to me. I shook my head, “No, I didn’t.”
“Really, who did it then, Amma, Vena?” he wanted to know.
“I don’t know’ I shrugged “I haven’t even come near it.”
Amma also had come running when Appan called me and now she said, “ Sneha, it really is okay, tell us the truth, we are not going to punish you.”
“No, I am telling you, I did not do it.” I was adamant.
Amma glanced at Appan; she was scared Appan’s temper.
“Listen Sneha, we know you did it, no one else could have done it but I want you to tell me that and tell me how it happened.” Appan sounded calm but I could feel the anger trying to break free.
“Did you take it down to look at it?” He asked.
I refused to open my mouth, and looked down concentrating on finding new shapes in the speckles of the mosaic tiles on the floor.
“You have to tell us, and do it fast, before I lose my temper and spank you.”
“Tell us what happened.” Amma tried again.
Then Appan walked out of the room. I stood there scared, not knowing what to do.
The day passed without my confessing to anything. Appan did not talk about it again.
Then one day sometime later as I was telling Appan about George, I said, “Appa, the, I showed the statues to George one day.”
“Is that when you dropped them?” He asked.
I did not know what to do, I hadn’t intended to tell him but it just came out with any plan.
I nodded, “I told him you will be angry, but he still wanted to see and then I showed him one and he wanted to see the rest and that is when one of them fell down.”
“But then why did you not tell me that? Things get broken all the time but why did you have to lie. Good children don’t lie.”
Later that night as we lay down to sleep, I heard Appan tell Amma, “It is her first lie. The broken statues don’t bother me much but her telling a lie made me feel as if I am bringing her up wrong.”
I tried to think fast, I have not been naughty, I haven’t broken anything, then why was he angry. I walked inside and went to where Appan was standing. ”Oh my God” I thought “the statues”. He was standing in front of the cupboard and holding the broken statue, the rest of them were on the table. I held my breath terrified, knowing that I was going to be the recipient of Appan full terrible fury. But instead he asked calmly, “What happened? Did you break this?” holding the broken statue out to me. I shook my head, “No, I didn’t.”
“Really, who did it then, Amma, Vena?” he wanted to know.
“I don’t know’ I shrugged “I haven’t even come near it.”
Amma also had come running when Appan called me and now she said, “ Sneha, it really is okay, tell us the truth, we are not going to punish you.”
“No, I am telling you, I did not do it.” I was adamant.
Amma glanced at Appan; she was scared Appan’s temper.
“Listen Sneha, we know you did it, no one else could have done it but I want you to tell me that and tell me how it happened.” Appan sounded calm but I could feel the anger trying to break free.
“Did you take it down to look at it?” He asked.
I refused to open my mouth, and looked down concentrating on finding new shapes in the speckles of the mosaic tiles on the floor.
“You have to tell us, and do it fast, before I lose my temper and spank you.”
“Tell us what happened.” Amma tried again.
Then Appan walked out of the room. I stood there scared, not knowing what to do.
The day passed without my confessing to anything. Appan did not talk about it again.
Then one day sometime later as I was telling Appan about George, I said, “Appa, the, I showed the statues to George one day.”
“Is that when you dropped them?” He asked.
I did not know what to do, I hadn’t intended to tell him but it just came out with any plan.
I nodded, “I told him you will be angry, but he still wanted to see and then I showed him one and he wanted to see the rest and that is when one of them fell down.”
“But then why did you not tell me that? Things get broken all the time but why did you have to lie. Good children don’t lie.”
Later that night as we lay down to sleep, I heard Appan tell Amma, “It is her first lie. The broken statues don’t bother me much but her telling a lie made me feel as if I am bringing her up wrong.”
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