Ball games and Birthdays

It’s 9PM but my two busy beavers seem far away from sleepy mood. Doma and ema have never been good combination for our tummy. My poor tummy is growling and grumbling about this odd combination that I have made a continuous supply of in the last few days, I sit beside the bukhari hoping the heat to do me a big favor by pleasing my upset tummy.
The restless duo, who have been playing cricket (the bat never touching the ball and the ball bouncing off all over the place save the rims of the bat) pops in and out of the kitchen to fetch their runaway ball. On one such ordeal, my little one comes singing, ’Happy B’day to you,’ joyously. I am all ears all though I pretend to be deeply engrossed in my book fearing they might drag me in that silly ballgame.
My elder one asks, whose B’day it is and before the li’l one can answer she quickly realizes that her li’l sister’s birthday is just two months away. “What do you want for you B’day?” My elder one asks religiously.
“Cake!” pat comes the reply.
“Arrgh! Cake is always there on Birthdays! That’s for all to eat,” my grumpy elder screams with her nose crinkled.
“Everyone gonna eat my cake? I don’t get my cake?” The li’l one is almost ready to shed her tears.
“No,Tatu, mama will get the cake, what do you want ana to get for you?” she asks exasperated but adds,” A gift?” with a practiced patience.
Their conversation has made me swerve my attention fully out of my book where a 34 years old man is back to his old hometown and reclaiming his life. I see my two kids, one dressed in black and the other in red, standing near the kitchen door, their task of retrieving their ball all forgotten and now deep into serious Bday conversation.
“Tell ana, what do you want?” she coos to her li’l sister. I see the change in the tone and as expected I see her patting her li’l sister’s head which reaches her waist. My elder daughter has this peculiar style of patting her sister’s head, which translates into her role of a big sister.
“Momo,” my li’l one replies with no time lost. Knowing full well that her almost three years old sister can never conjure up a perfect wish list for her B’day, she comes with her own suggestion,” Do you want a teddy bear?”
“ong,ong,” the little one replies with no attachment whatsoever and is seen bending near the bukhari to pick up the ball. And the next instance they are back to their ball game. Birthdays all forgotten!