THE FAVOURITE CHILD
The woman had three sons and six daughters. Her day was full of chores
to fulfill the numerous demands of her growing troop. She was always busy with
cooking, washing, cleaning, dusting ironing and also counselling! One day her
youngest son fell sick. She called up the doctor and requested him to drop by
and examine him.
As he checked the boy's throat, he asked the lady, "Madam, how many
children do you have?" She hesitated for a moment, then said, "As many as I can
take care of!" The man watched her as she sat beside her five year old son, who
was burning with high fever. She dipped small hand towels into a basin of
water, turn by turn and used them to wipe the boy's burning brow.
From the doorway, her teenaged daughter, called out, "Mama, where are
my hairpins?" "They're in the brown box on the console, honey." Just then her
other son popped in, "I have to stay back after school for football today, I
need an extra Tiffin, Mom." She smiled and said, "Yes, darling I remember you
have a football match today. I've packed an extra sandwich in the white box
along with your Tiffin. It's lying on the table, next to your breakfast. Now,
run along and let me talk to the doctor."
The doctor admired the ease with which she was in command of everything
around her. He asked her, "Which one of them is your favourite?"
She said simply, "The one who needs me most." "Which one?" he asked in
surprise.
She said, "The one who is sick; the one who is sad; the one who is
lonely.... the one who needs me most ... That is my favourite child!"
