The Pomegranate Boy

The Pomegranate Boy(venkateshan) He looked at the jar somewhat skeptically. He had no intention of drinking that juice at all. He always complained about being forced to drink one or the other fruit juice. “Mother always says if I have to be a strong boy, I have to drink lots of fruit juice”, he muttered. “yes dear you will have to. No other go!!” remarked his father. This triggered an explosion inside him and he started dancing and shouting “I don’t like fruit juice. I am sick and tired of you both pestering me all day long!!“ His father looked amused at his antics. His mother however was not. She was serious. “Well my son we will find a way to make you have that, now cool."

He seemed to like only packed chips, what we call as “Junk Food”. He had in fact completed an assignment in his school regarding "harmful effects of junk food”. His father and mother had helped him by preparing a chart that he had submitted and promptly forgot. His parents had given up the hope that he would someday like to have fruit juice. The naughty boy had all the intentions of obeying his parents, which his father was also sure of. But the only problem was he never listened to what his parents told him. His mother always complained about his adamant nature. But his father was sure “The day he starts listening to what we say," he reassured, “he will also start obeying”. Mother sighed. Well that was the only option she was left with.

Of course, the boy is not just mischievous, he is also very intelligent. “Hey look at this drawing” his father would bubble with joy whenever he completed a good work. Alike his mother believed him very good in drawing. He would sit and draw for hours without getting bored. But his homework and studies somehow put him off! Not that he did not like to study, he would study, complete his homework without any grumbling. But that’s it. he put a full stop at that. He would not budge ahead of his homework. “You will have to study every day, only then you can you score good marks. now you are getting 80, but if you study every day you can get 95 at least.” Well, he heard what his mother told him. But as usual did not bother to listen!

“The parent meeting was good”, remarked father as he handed the marks card and the answer sheets to his wife which was given out for parental viewing. “his teacher says he can score more if he starts concentrating more in the class.” “of course he can" agreed his mother, "the only problem is he starts studying a week before the exams, who is going to bell the cat.“ Father however was sure that she would be happy inside though she did not show it.

He used to like bananas a lot while they were in their home town. They tasted good too. Small in size, the name was “rasabaaLe”. That fruit was nowhere to be seen here. Of course “nendra vala“ was available in govindpuri market from a malayalee store. “These mallus seem to be present everywhere", father would often wonder. “I think you can find them everywhere, except in kerala, as all of them have spread out there will be virtually none left over there”. Somehow that banana failed to impress him. The variety of banana that was sold in the markets there was “Paccha Baale” which he loved to hate. So days rolled on with the hope that someday, by the power of some magic, he may like to have a fruit juice.

That day as he was buying vegetables in the market, father saw pomegranates. He was very fond of them since his childhood. Every time he visited his bhabhi’s “atte” in channapattana, he loved to climb the low branched pomegranate tree and eat to his heart’s content, that too sitting on the tree branch! However the price shook him off a bit. 120 Rupees for a kilo! He anyway bought a kilo and came back.

As the boy came back from school the next day, he started feeling hungry! The option of his “Snacks” was virtually ruled out as the “Nepali” store next to his house was closed that day and lunch was not ready yet. “I want something to eat!!!" He shrilled at the top of his voice. this was increasingly becoming his “Normal” way of talking to his parents. "The friends in his school have spoiled this brat!" Remarked mother. Anyway, her first job now was to feed him. But lunch would take time. She offered him a pomegranate to eat, which he promptly refused. “There is nothing else at home, you better eat this or go hungry, what do you want?” mother seemed quite upset as she was feeling the pinch of hunger too. He hesitated, went back to his room and opened the laptop. “Let me play a game until lunch is prepared. This will make me forget the hunger” was his wise thought.

“The game seems to be very dull and boring today,” he thought, he could not concentrate on the game anymore. He dragged his feet to where his mother sat and slowly said “give that fruit!”. She looked surprised. Anyway she cut the fruit and gave it to him in a bowl. Behold, as he popped the first pomegranate into his mouth, he exclaimed, "Yummy!!" It tasted good, not just good but “Real Good”. in the next ten minutes the bowl was empty. Now he was the POMEGRANATE BOY!