Page 8 - My FlipBook

The children looked at him in disbelief. Then Rahul asked, "Santa uncle,
how do you know Uncle Uh-Oh?"

"He was a professor of Mathematics at IIT Madras. He would come with
his wife and kids to visit his parents during the summer vacation. His
parents lived in the neighbourhood where I grew up, in a small town. He
used to conduct a maths camp for all the neighbourhood kids who were
interested. It was because of him I fell in love with Mathematics and he
even wrote me a letter of recommendation for Stanford where I studied
maths." Santa had a glazed look in his eye as he reminisced the past.

Then suddenly recalling his audience, he looked at the kids and continued.
"Over the years I kept in touch with him. I visit him every time I come to
India. But I haven't come since Akshay was a toddler. He did not even
recognise Akshay." He looked sad. "I should visit more often." He said
mostly to himself.

"Uh-Oh teach children! Impossible! He hates children." Payal declared.

"But he really is a nice old man." The kids were surprised to hear Akshay
say.

"He spoke to you?" Suresh was astounded. "I mean he talked to you nicely,
not just growled or shouted?"

"Yes. He asked me about my hobbies and friends. He even gave me some
cookies." Akshay added.

"Santa uncle if Uh-Oh really was so nice, then why is he so grouchy and
mean now?" Nidhi asked curious to get to the bottom of this mystery.

"Like Akshay told you, he is sad." Santa said.

"But why?" Nidhi persisted. "What could change him from a kind and
helpful man, to a frightening grouch?"

"It is not my place to tell you. Sometimes, people are in so much pain, that
they cant spare the energy or the mental capacity to to be nice. They are
drowning and need help. If you kids help him, perhaps he will find a way
out of his misery. Why don't you give it a try?"

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