TWO SIDES OF THE SAME IDEA

TWO  SIDES  OF  THE  SAME  IDEA

Vaidheeswaran

The  other  day   I  saw   my     grand-daughter sitting on the steps 
leading  to  the backyard while the sun was warm and pleasant….

She  was  deeply  engrossed   with  some  activity which  I  couldn’t 
assess from  this  far…and I slowly went nearby approaching rather 
stealthily not to divert her attention from what  she is engaged.

She was seriously   scribbling   on   a  white   drawing  sheet  with  a dark black pencil… I found her continuously scribbling right and left without  any  intention   for  any  shape   or  mental picture that  has   identity  with  any   known   things.

Probably if an adult  artiste was scribbling this mad on a white sheet I would've quipped “Are you  trying to copy Jackson Pollack?”

But this child  of four years…what  is impelling her to black - scribble with such  crazy   vigour? “

I  asked  her    quietly  …“Dear…..Why   are  you  scribbling like this _ black  lines on  this  white  paper?”

“No… Thaathaa ….I am  not  scribbling… I’ m  just   drawing….” Lifting her hair a little, turning  the   head    at  an  angle she said to me  seriously.

  

“What….Drawing?  what  are  you  trying  to   draw?   Are these erratic   lines    called  drawing…?

“You  don’t  understand  Thaththaa….  I  am  drawing  “HAIR”

  “HAIR”……..What ?.......    Are   You    drawing   Hair?”

 “Yes…….Don’t  you  see…..this  is  how   my  hair  will  look   if  I  draw  it….”

 “ Oh!.....Yes  true…Yes….This  is  indeed   Hair…”   

  I had to simply accept the  fact  of  her  statement. And stop with that.

 I  should  not   probe  her  further  and  ask “Why are you drawing the hair?”  

Because for  the  same  question   an  adult  Modern  artiste would retort saying  “That is  my  artistic  freedom… You shut up and F…ck off“

Maybe  this  child also could have such a feeling but maynot know how to   show   such  reaction. 

 But I  was  certainly happy  and   quietly  laughed  at  her  reply which  sounded  honest  and  not  clever… I  moved  away...

 A  thought  occurred that   if  the  child  had  said   the  same  answer in  Tamil how  crude  and  mannerless that  would  have  sounded to a listener! 'Hah… ‘HAIR ……………’