Competition? Not again! This was the first thought that had flashed my mind when I saw the note that Adu’s teacher had sent along with him regarding some coloring competition. He has just entered his nursery section and the world has already grabbed him into the web of competition. Sigh! The thought was very painful to me. And not that he had any option to back out. The competition was compulsory. A compulsory competition!
I don’t know how Adu felt about this competition thing. But I can surely tell how his mother (i.e. Me) felt about it! She felt nauseating! Yes the same feeling she (I mean I, i.e. Adu’s mother) used to get when I was in school. I remember how proud my mom used to be about my singing and dancing skills. Hence, you can imagine how much this so-called word ‘Competition’ was a part of my life. I had big time stage fear then but I had to perform because that was one thing that gave me a chance to stand out from my friends. And for me and my parents, I was something unique who was born to do unique things! And what more, if I perform I had to win, yes! Otherwise, I would bad mouth all the judges; I would cry my heart out! Phew! Yes, for me I was the best! And I had to win! Otherwise the world would go topsy turvy! But Alas! Frankly speaking it was only few times I had won any competition. Thus, the hatred towards competition!
Anyway, coming back to present, willingly or unwillingly, I had to prepare Adu too for his coloring competition. Yes, coloring competition in which I used to score a big zero in my school days Ahem! Frankly put, it was my maid who prepared him for his coloring competition. She taught him how to color within the lines and boundaries and God knows what all! And to my surprise, Adu really did well in that. I mean he really colored within the lines and boundaries, which was not the case till April, 2011, if my memory is not wrong! I remember when I had gone to my mom’s place, my aunt (who is known for her pestering stunts) had told me seeing the way Adu was squiggling the paper with colors, to teach Adu to do coloring within the lines and I had bullshitted her saying he’s just a kid. And now I just can’t believe that the same Adu has learnt to color within lines. Sigh! An eye-wetting moment, isn’t it? Yes it was for me!
Finally, after a very good practice session, Adu colored well in his coloring competition but not as well to win a first or even a second prize. Somewhere, it did hurt me (yes, all those typical mom’s feeling and all) but when I saw his colored sheet displayed among his friends’ sheets (not though on the main notice board of the school) it was a proud feeling for me. I could see the innocence of my kid in that sheet who doesn’t know anything about competition. The rabbit that he had colored in pink and red displayed a child’s imagination. It displayed his love towards what he was doing! It displayed his pleasure! It displayed his happiness! It displayed a moment of peace for me! It displayed creativity at its heights! And he was already a winner in his mother’s eyes!
