A Beautiful reminder!

It was her piano class in next thirty minutes and we were very late. This was an important one since there was a concert just next day and we needed to be in time to practise with other students within the time slot provided. Extended presentation followed by a lunch meeting had just made me late to pick her up. The only thing in my mind was to make my little princess , sitting next to me, reach her class on time.

It was 3:40pm in the afternoon, the road had very less traffic. While we were busy exchanging thoughts on how my and her day went by, I saw the signal turned orange and then red and in all my consciousness I just jumped the red light. Was panicked since am very particular usually, but was very relieved to see that no one watched what I did. Well that was just a myth.

I must have driven just a kilometer and a half when a traffic policeman stopped my car, asked me to show my DL (Driving license) and questioned — “Mam, I think you just jumped the last signal and as a penalty I need to confiscate your driving license”. Considering this meant a lot for someone like me, who was on the road for much part of the day. I simply denied having done anything wrong. I lied. I was confident that no one had watched me. I failed to take into account that there was this six year old passenger next to me who had not just observed everything but was feeling so bad that her mom was lying!

All my pleadings to this policeman went waste and so I asked him if there was any “workaround ” so that I dont have to part ways with my license. The policeman didnt take a moment to throw a demand for a certain amount, when I realised my wallet had just two hundred rupees which were far away from fulfilling this gentleman’s patch up figure. As I fumbled through my wallet and my bag to find if there was any extra currency apart from what I could see , my six year old who had been watching me getting tense and silently observing everything till now said — “Traffic Uncle, yes we jumped the red light, I saw that.”

I didn’t know how to react, tried to interrupt by making a face and using sign language — but this little warrior just went on — “but it was because mumma was in a hurry as I need to be on time to my piano school. We did a mistake and we are sorry for the same”. Looking at me she said — “Mom , you have taught me that when we make mistakes, we should accept them and be ready to face the punishment.”

I was shocked and simply nodded. Further she went on — “but one thing I don’t understand is what is a workaround?” . Neither I nor the traffic policeman could answer that and I think we didn’t want to. No exchange of words after that, the gentleman looked at her with a smile and then asked me to be careful in future and let us go.

For the rest of the journey , there was a silence in the car. The little one didn’t know what the repercussions could have been if the police gentleman had kept my DL but she was clear that the way things were happening it wasn’t right and she had all the courage to speak it out.

True when they say that your children are a reflection of you , pure to the essence but when they see parents and adults behaving in an ambiguous manner across situations, is when they start getting confused.

I felt bad for trying to be a wrong example in front of her but was proud of what she did. Just smiled looking at my little lady , thanking her for giving me a beautiful reminder :)