By Claire A. Williams, claire@trippingonwords.com
I want rosewater ice cream with crushed pistachios. I have never had such a dish, but they talked about this Afghani delight in The Kite Runner, which I just finished, and I think it sounds nice.
In more pressing news, Little Tony left today with Lauren. The most interesting part of his departure was deciphering the aftermath of a note he left for the Little Dictator (8) and his older, wily, intelligent sister Jane (9).
The same sister who tricked one of our recent Mzungu visitors into giving her a peanut (Tony had brought many and she had gorged on them) by telling the happy to oblige Mzungu that the book Jane was reading a book that talked about peanuts and she simply did not know what they were. Because Jane is cute, and a self-professed "urphan," the visiting Mzungu gave it to her. We found out later, when said Mzungu told us the charming story of Jane never haven eaten a peanut. Smart, wily girl that Jane.
So the note. Tony gave a note to Jane and the Little Dictator, and within hours they were more depressed then we've seen them in a long time. One clarifying conversation between Tony and the Little Dictator did nothing to resolve the situation (the Little Dictator stared despondently at the ground the entire time), and things only got worse upon Tony's departure.
The culprit, it turned out, was Tony's handwriting. In the very sweet note, in which he told the Little Dictator that Tony was Walker Texas Ranger (the children's favorite hero) and the Little Dictator was Jimmy (Walker's African American sidekick), Tony had also made a gross error in the eyes of the children.
Specifically, he had written – twice no less – "I Love You NO Much." Jane and her brother were devastated, and it took many a handwriting lesson in American shorthand cursive to barely convince skeptical Jane and the Little Dictator that it actually read – twice – "I Love You SO Much."
In retrospect, though, it was an obvious misinterpretation, as "I Love you No Much" is such a common way to hurt a small child.
3 comments:
That's SO sad!
Glad you're helping them learn there's love you YES for them too.
Claire-That is such a touching story about Tony's note to the kids.
But more importantly, increase the font size of your postings!! It is difficult to read as it is very small and in light blue ink. Lara's postings are OK.
that is so weird, Claire. I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns, the followup to the lovely Kite Runner and when I finished it yesterday, I had an inexplicable hankering for rosewater ice cream. which incidentally, i've never had either.
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