Here are four versions of three gems from Shuchita H Pota. The events take place in early 2005 when Divyanshu is sixteen, Shuchita is fourteen, and Jwalita is eight.
Enjoy.
Sometime in January 2005, Divyanshu, Jwalita, and Shuchita were having their meal seated on tall
stools at the island in the kitchen.
Shuchita is in Year 10 and I was motivating her to do multiplication tables. Her standard reply in all these situations is, "I already know it, Papa." When she said this, to test her, I asked, "What is seven times eight?"
No sooner I asked this, Jwalita's hand shot up with the scream, "Me, ask me, please me." Jwalita doesn't simply put her hand up, she stretches it as high as possible and begs, with all the different facial expressions she can make, that she be allowed to answer first. The most amusing thing is that she does this whether she knows the answer or not. Shuchita looked at Jwalita and then turned her eyes towards me and saw my stern look on herself imploring her to quickly answer what is seven times eight. Shuchita blurted out forty-eight. I got very upset at Shuchita for not remembering such a simple multiplication but she quickly collected herself and said, "It's not my fault, I was under tremendous pressure." I asked, "Pressure of what?" Shuchita replied, "Pressure that Jwalita (six years younger to her) might get it right!" After that what could I say? I simply retreated.Half an hour after we left home we arrived at the hill. The bickering of the lesser family members (JALLU and also DIVYANSHU) was at a minimum as I had decided to make them walk apart. As we approached the hill the tension in the air gathered I sensed there was going to be a race. The two mentally younger children began to move faster as the slope became more. Jallu at this point turned around and said
“You know that I'm not racing.” Almost simultaneously we, meaning the mature family members (NOT Jallu and Divyanshu) said,
“Yes Jallu, we believe you,” with more than just a slight hint of sarcasm. The two kept up their pace and I kept up mine, slow and steady. Soon I had caught up to Jallu and Divyanshu with no real intention of beating either of them up the hill. We were almost at the top when the two of them began to slow, and I began to speed up. The hill was at its steepest and I figured that it would be good for me to jog the rest of the way. When I reached the top I was so carried away by the view that I didn't realise I was the first at the top. I only figured this out when Jallu arrived at the top screaming, which snapped me back into reality.
“Hey…” I was cut off
“I told you I wasn't racing, then why did you have to beat me?!” Jallu hollered.
“Oh, yes I guess I did win, ha ha ha ha.” I never realised that my statement would have such dire consequences until later. Jallu stormed off. She came back a few minutes later with Mummy who without missing a beat began to ‘remind' me that Jallu was younger than me and that I shouldn't have upset her. This continued for a while with everyone joining in and Jallu crying in the background like I had beat her up. Soon after being bombarded about all my faults I finally exclaimed “I had one small victory and you had to take that away from me too!” This for some reason was met with laughter and jeering, and a very unhappy Jallu. After a little while though, Mummy and Papa decided to turn their attention to Jallu and somehow managed to convince the girl that she really had got to the peak of the hill first and I was just stupid.
Sitting at the table eating my dinner I was watching Jallu rattling off her timetables. Amazed at her speed and comprehension I commented on how I was never able to do that at her age and only recently mastered this skill. Papa saw this as and opportunity to make me prove my statement and Jallu saw it as an opportunity to out do her sister. So Papa began quizzing me, five times six, three times nine and so on. My trepidation growing along with Jallu's eagerness to answer the questions, what if I got one wrong and Jallu got it right? So I continued and soon Jallu's hand was in the air as far as it could. Papa asked the fatal question eight times seven, the hardest of the lot,
“umm.. forty two, no no… it's…”
“fifty four!” Screamed Jallu fed up of my rambling.
“So Shuchi” Started Papa like he was telling the funniest story ever “You still don't know your times tables.” Hahahaha so funny (being sarcastic). What no one understood was that I was under tremendous pressure. Jallu my younger sister knew her timetables better than me, a fact I know but decided to try and prove otherwise. What if she got it right and I didn't, which is exactly what happened.
Pope John Paul II's death was big news and a section dedicated to his life was put into Time Magazine. Jallu was surprised that such an important man wasn't married. When she posed the question, me, always on my toes said
“Well he had better things to do with his time than arguing with people.”
Again this statement was met with laughter and a quizzical look from Jallu.
Shuchita Pota
17 April 2005
Jwalita H Pota
One evening after dinner I and my family went for a walk. We usually climb to the top of a hill.
It's about a two hours walk there and back. When we got to the hill I Shuchi and Big bunny all said that we would not race like we usually do. None knew this but I had crossed my toes so none could see. I was ahead of everyone when Shuchi said this is the pace that I like to walk.
She was walking so fast me running could hardly catch up. YISH!! When we got to the top of the hill Shuchi was sitting there going I WIN! I WIN! I WIN! Mummy and papa were saying it wasn't a race I was fighting with Shuchi and Big Bunny. When we got home I told everyone about crossing my toes everyone was angry especially Shuchi.
One day papa started asking me some timetables. Then he said me and the EVIL Shuchi would have a competition. The first few I won. Then papa said 8 times 7. Then Shuchi said 42 really quickly without even thinking. Papa said no how did you get that answer? And THE EVIL SHUCHI said I was under pressure. Pressure of what? Papa asked. Of getting beaten by Jallu.
One day I was really frustrated because the pope wasn't allowed to get married. I asked Shuchi for the seventh time and the reply was because he is married to the Church. Papa said no. then Shuchi said he has better things to do than argue with his family!
Jwalita Hemanshu Pota
April 2005.
Divyanshu H Pota
Shuchita Hemanshu Pota is a very interesting person. Fourteen years of age, she has the maturity of a six year-old, the intelligence of an 18 year-old, and the ego of a ninety year-old. As a result of this interesting mix in her personality, Shuchita tends to produce ingenious comments and moments time and time again. Here are some examples of trademark Shuchita Pota golden moments.
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Gungahlin, the most recent township added to Canberra , is centred on a four-way intersection, with the four suburbs of Gungahlin enclosed by the roads which form the intersection itself. There is a hill in the midst of one of the heavily populated suburbs of Gungahlin which is almost void of any development, and from the top of this hill the whole of Gungahlin and most of Canberra is distinguishable.
Our family frequently enjoys walks to the peak of this hill via a narrow walkway which slowly but surely winds its way to the top. The official marker of the top is a small wooden bench. The three Pota children always make it a competition as to who makes it to the hill top first and sits on the bench, an activity which creates anguish and pain each time for Jwalita and Shuchita, as they are unable to beat Divyanshu. One day mummy and papa decided that Divyanshu's domination must come to an end, and warned us that we were not allowed to race that day, and that we would have a peaceful walk. Ironically, the walk up the hill that day was more intense than any other day.
As soon as the walk commenced, Jwalita took a quick lead, planning to make a dash for the top as soon as her lead was assured. Despite Jwalita's attempt to be discrete about her intentions, they were plainly obvious to the rest of the family. At this point in the story, I would like to say that Jwalita reached the top first, and that the rest of the walk was peaceful as could be. But there is no way that Shuchita Pota would allow for such a story to take place in her presence.
Shuchita crept up slowly behind Jwalita and followed her for a long time, in the hope that as Jallu made her attempt to seal victory, she herself could take Jwalita over and claim triumph. Divyanshu, ever the simpleton, still didn't realise what was going on, and walked with mummy and papa. As the hilltop approached, and there was only twenty metres left, Shuchita could not control herself anymore and made a break for the top, running as if there was a million dollars waiting for her on the bench.
Jallu still hadn't given up hope, and chased after Shuchita like a starving Tiger after an antelope. Jwalita was not able to catch up, and Shuchita reached the top first, celebrating as if she had won an Olympic marathon. In reality, however, she had beaten a girl six years younger than her, in a twenty metre race, all under the premise that there was to be no race at all. And yet, Shuchita Pota was as satisfied as ever.
When mummy, papa and Divyanshu finally made it to the top, there was an intense argument. Could Shuchita claim a victory under those pretences? It was settled that Shuchita did not win, and that there was no race at all. Everybody sat seemingly satisfied on the bench at the top of the hill for a few minutes, before Shuchita just had to express her thoughts. She said “I have so little, and you have to take away whatever little pleasure I do have”. After the whole incident Shuchita still felt as if she should be recognised for her apparent victory over her six year younger adversary. Such is the nature of Shuchita Pota.
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A cornerstone of Shuchita's reputation as an overall superior human being is her academic excellence. Needless to say, she likes to show off her intellectual skills, and the dinner table is a strategic location to exhibit her knowledge: one where everyone in the family is forced to sit, and also to listen to her.
One day, the topic of multiplication tables came up in the discussion, and Jwalita was correctly replying to all the questions fired at her by papa in quick succession. Shuchita also felt the need to gain the family's attention, so she declared that she could give the product of any two numbers presented to her. Usually papa would overlook her declaration, either because her superiority was clear enough to remain untested, or because he couldn't be bothered to mess with Shuchita, who would never acknowledge defeat anyway. On this particular occasion, however, papa was game enough to test Shuchita, and she looked confident enough to answer anything.
After a couple of seconds of thought, papa said “seven times eight”. Shuchita froze. Both of Jwalita's hands immediately shot up into the air, her whole body in fact raising itself off her chair, as she begged “pick me, let me answer, I know! I know!” Glancing across at Jwalita without actually moving her head, Shuchita knew she was in trouble. The colour of Shuchita's face turned slowly to a pinkish red, her hands resting helplessly in her lap. It became apparent that papa had thrown a spanner in the works of Shuchita's mature and sophisticated brain, and had caused a glitch in her otherwise perfect memory.
There was a delay, and Shuchita blurted out: “forty-eight”! A hush came across the family, all of our eyes and mouths hanging wide open. Suddenly, we began to doubt the genuineness of Shuchita's self proclaimed supremacy. But luckily enough, Shuchita's excuse came soon after, like a pleasant aftertaste to a disgusting lolly. “I was under too much pressure”. ”What pressure?” I asked myself. What pressure could have stopped Shuchita Hemanshu Pota from giving the right answer? “What if Jallu got it right?” she said.
In retrospect, I think to myself. What if Jallu did get it right? I think it's safe to say that the world would never have been the same again.
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Everybody agrees that Shuchita Pota is superhuman. But from competing with an eight year old to swallowing scrabble pieces by accident, she has annihilated all doubt that she is flawless. All that aside, she is still a genuinely insightful and intelligent human being, who has the capacity to make original, and occasionally relevant, observations. Sometimes I think…if only other people in the house, namely Divyanshu, could speak freely, how interesting our lives could be…but alas, my dream will never turn into a reality.
Special mention must be made here of an incident which occurred soon after the death of Pope John Paul II. Jwalita asked “Why isn't the Pope married?” “Because he has better things to do with his time than fight with his family” was Shuchita's sharp but delayed response.
As a closing word, I would like to introduce a thought into your mind for you to reflect upon as a souvenir of this story: Who is the cause and main participant in most of the arguments in the Pota family? I'll leave it to you to decide…
Divyanshu H Pota
April 2005.