Return Gift
Words 201
On a courtesy visit to a distant cousin, I was constrained to accept their lunch invitation. Didi was busy cooking while Jeejaji was out working.
Hot and bored, I tried to make friends with my 6-year–old niece.
“So many toys!” I remarked.
Sia didn’t look up.
“I don’t have any. Give me one?”
“Adults don’t play with toys.”
“Even as a child I didn’t have any toys.”
“Liar.” She looked up. “Even Granny had toys.”
“Well, I don’t remember. Surely you can spare me one?”
“You didn’t get me anything.”
“Sia!” Didi came bustling in.
“Let her be.”
“But…”
“Please.”
“Here have samosas.” Didi shook her head at Sia before disappearing.
Sia bent her head.
“Have one.” I offered.
Sia’s eyes flickered but she shook her head.
“Why not?”
“That is only for guests.”
“I am a relative.”
“Mother will scold me.”
“Consider it my ‘gift’ to you.”
Her face shone. “I love samosas.”
“Me too.”
Nibbling, she confided, “Mother makes samosas only for guests. And they eat up all the samosas.”
“Maybe I should come more often?”
She giggled.
“You can take this house. No! Santa. Okay the tree. Or…”
I left with the tree and a nagging conscience.
***
Written for Sunday Photo Fiction – a story in 200 words or less hosted by Alistair Forbes.To read the other stories inspired by this prompt click here
For readers of Moonshine, here's Chapter 109 and Calvin and Hobbes
Stories and more 
Very cute story 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Getting to know family can be difficult especially when left in a room with a child you don’t know.
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Yes even more so with children. Thanks
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Yes, may be she should visit more…but then there is a high chance she would lose the “guest” tag and then the samosas 😀
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Yeah that risk is there 😀
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Innocent child .Niece tale
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Thank you 🙂
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Kids are so scarily observant, aren’t they?!
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Yes! And they say the most inconvenient things 😀 Thanks for visiting Ruchi 🙂
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Cute – and side note – I try to not make things for others that my family does not get – had to make sure of it – but I can see why it happens – 😉
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Yeah of course I wouldnt also make anything that my family wouldnt get 😀 But that is now. This story is about my childhood, of middle class families, which was careful about its expenditures and delicacies (and silverware) were reserved for guests. But then perhaps that was lost in the word count of flash fiction though I was kinda hoping that her meager collection of toys would sort of highlight that. Thanks for your comment Y – gave me a chance to understand how i could have improved.
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well I actually did catch that it was formal. not the silverware part.
and to say that i don’t do that anymore – it was actually a tiny bit different. I think I actually posted about it in 2014 – but a friend and I talked about how we made special treats for events and left out our family. Like she made these unique chocolates and only let her spouse sample the broken scraps. And I had times of baking only good stuff when guests were coming. and so we both made a concerted effort to make some goodies for the fam “just because” – ya know?
so it is not quite the same as the story here.
anyhow, your story also let us feel this nice essence between the people – the pursuing and reaching out…. and the distance and then coming around – pretty great in 200 words….
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Thanks Y. Yes that is similar to what I was trying to showcase. Relieved that some of it came through 🙂
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🙂
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