She did it again.

But before going any further, I must mention that in two days – to be exact, she will be celebrating her sixth birthday. That is how old she is. Old or young, this sharp-witted, quick and clear-thinking child sometimes leaves people speechless. Her older sister is an angel, sweet and happy, smiling, gifted… super intelligent.

But the little one ? Well how to start and where to start; first you have to decide that.

Every one says that she has her Dadi’s looks. Does the resemblance start and end there? I sometimes wonder. I was already reading children storybooks and able to write complete sentences when I started school. Was somebody tutoring me at home? Maybe. All I know is that it was a very ‘parrhaku’, book reading family. I also got bit by the reading bug. How and when? memory does not help!

Enough said, we return to our little unpredictable wonder.

Among other prim and proper habits, she never overeats. She will never eat just because there is more to eat. Once, she decides that she is full, you can’t force even a morsel on her. So one evening, when I came to the dinner table, she was still sitting there, staring at her plate where there were some peas and corn staring back. I asked why was she not finishing her food? she said she was full and could not eat more. Then, pushing her chair back she was about to leave when I said that leaving food in the plate was not good manners and we all should take only as much as we could eat.

She said what could she do, her mama gave her too much. I said OK, I will finish it. To this she gave me the sweetest smile and pushing the plate towards me said, “Ok Dadi you can finish my food. Its only a little bit.” and went towards her room.

But half-way there she turned around and looked at me with a lofty, know all style “But dadi, make sure you don’t over stuff yourself”.

All I could do was look at her royal, receding back and a spoon full of peas and corn.