the YOUNGEST Child

I will have a chance of getting all your parents’ love and they wont say a ‘No’ to me often if I am the only child to my parent. This was what I thought during my childhood days especially when I had 3 siblings elder to me. And to be frank, I was not the pet of my dad or mom during my childhood days even though I was youngest. It was not their fault. My mouth was always wide open crying. I never let anyone interfere in my life. Even in my kindergarten stages I studied all alone. I was more lonely than a single child during those days.

I was self-fulfilling. I can play cricket alone - by bowling to wall and hitting back when it came make or by batting with a ball hanged from the roof, or I can play cards all alone with 6 hands. But its always better to play with many instead of all alone. To have daily evening cricket session or to play cards with all my family members were always better. So my “only child” theory fails. Being alone, unless it is self imposed, its boring and more importantly irritating to me.

But being the youngest was always fun. You can do all mischief and just point your fingers at your sibling. You are the safe. Just like ladies, tears are always for your rescue. (When I was even 12 years, my dad had given an offer of giving me one rupee on each “non-crying” day. I seldom let my father lose his money.) While playing cricket, I never lost more than 3 matches in a row or to phrase it in better manner – my bro hated me crying on ground, why to get thrashed. But off-grounds he always enjoyed making me cry. To cry was always my best weapon. Most days I would cry and would sleep just to skip dinner. My dad was always on my side, though he knew I was not innocent. There is a syndrome found widely among the youngest kid – Monday morning stomach-ache; I was not different.

But with time things has changed. I completed my studies and became salaried. I became more attached to my family like never before. And I started to face the youngest-child crisis. Even when I am going for a shopping, I need to report to mom. At the age of 10 or 15 its fine, but at 25!! If I am doing more than usual, I have to report to all my siblings and get permission from all of them even though final decision was always mine. And the worst according to me is someone else making budget for me. On the other hand, for my elder bro, things are just opposite. He is matured, responsible and whatever I am not. Everyone at home, rely on him like anything.

Now I feel, I should not have been the youngest. I don’t want to be under shades of anyone anymore. But what do to, I have enjoyed the same shades for more than couple of decades and I cant always get best of all. And I am happy about being the youngest.