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The Little Girl


The little girl smiled.  Her father noticed it though he was leading her by hand to their car in the parking lot.  He was taking her home after school.  He noticed her smile because he saw the bearded man sitting under a tree with a book in hand smiling at his daughter. 

“Who is it?”  Father asked the daughter.

“Who?” asked the girl in return.

“The man who smiled at you.”

“Don’t know.”

“Why did you smile at him then?”

“Because he smiled.”

“Don’t smile at strangers,” he said sternly as he helped her on to the seat.

“Why dad?”

“Because,” he hesitated.  How is he to explain to a four year-old child why strangers are potential enemies.  “Because, strangers may not be good people.”

She looked at him.  Did she expect an explanation?  She had started asking a lot of why’s these days.

How can I explain this to you, my daughter?  How can I tell you that most smiles today carry poison?  Invisible poison.  You won’t even understand how smiles can carry poison.  Do you know the meaning of fangs?  You have never seen the fangs beneath smiles, have you?

A time will come when the world will teach you about fangs and their poison.  Do you think I don’t like smiles?  If only people could smile like you, the world would be as lovely a place as Monet’s Garden.  But even you will lose your smile as you grow up.  The world will steal it.  The world’s smoothest tongues will lick it up.  Because all smooth tongues stick out from some masks.  Masks, my little girl, masks rule the world. 

PS. A real incident motivated this post.  I’m taking the liberty to post a second entry to Indispire’s current theme of #masks.  Interestingly, I was averse to the theme and had not voted for it.  I find myself making a double entry now.  :)




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Comments

  1. Renu VyasSeptember 6, 2016 at 8:58 PM

    A sad world we are living in..where we have to warn our children about strangers smiling..where four year olds are introduced to a society that dons masks..hiding the evil within :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalSeptember 6, 2016 at 9:12 PM

      The real situation is much more formidable than what I have written. Masks are inevitable. What about the assaults girls face? Even little ones are not spared.

      Delete
  2. Durga Prasad DashSeptember 6, 2016 at 11:27 PM

    In fact smile is a very popular mask

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalSeptember 7, 2016 at 5:48 AM

      Precisely. But how much is concealed is the problem.

      Delete
  3. Jyotirmoy SarkarSeptember 7, 2016 at 8:17 AM

    So many types of smiles are there... i wonder when i think, so many types of mentality there....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalSeptember 7, 2016 at 8:39 AM

      That reminds me of a lady who was my boss for a couple of years. She could smile in umpteen ways. Some of her smiles meant termination of services!

      Delete
  4. UppalSeptember 7, 2016 at 12:09 PM

    Smiles are deceptive these days!

    ReplyDelete
  5. sunaina sharmaSeptember 7, 2016 at 7:11 PM

    This post deepened my sadness. If only smiles were pure, and innocent!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amit AgarwalSeptember 8, 2016 at 12:43 PM

    Sad but true!

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownSeptember 8, 2016 at 1:38 PM

    Probably she would grow up to raise an indelible smile, that would stand the test of poison and saliva of deception.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalSeptember 8, 2016 at 2:03 PM

      I doubt. The world steals our smiles. Loss of innocence is necessary for growing up.

      Delete
  8. ArtiSeptember 8, 2016 at 8:30 PM

    Very touching and sensitive scenario. And so sad but so true! Irony of life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalSeptember 8, 2016 at 9:38 PM

      Children are lovely because of their innocence. If only the innocence could last!

      Delete

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