Kutta's friend came home for a stay-over. They are both very fond of each other. The friend is a budding Chess Master, the son is a novice. After I picked them from their badminton class, they played some board games and went down ant hunting. As they seemed a bit bored late in the evening, I suggested they play a game of chess. Kutta immediately shared as a matter of factly, "We tried playing the last time I visited their place. He commented that I am a weak player and he does not want to play with me". I was shocked, because the friend is thought to be very kind. And, despite Kutta sharing most stuff with me, this never occured in our conversation, and he never mentioned about this to me earlier.
A few minutes later, when I had the chance, I sneaked into Kutta's personal space and enquired if he felt offended with the comment. He shrugged, "I know he is good at it, so I don't mind". Then, I asked specifically, "Does his commenting you as a weak player hurt?" That's when I received the most revealing response, "Why should his comment hurt? I know what I am capable of, and Chess is not my forte or interest. I know me, ma! So anybody else's comment doesn't bother".
It was one of a moment to me. Very profound, but one that a child can only express. Wish he preserves this spirit for life.
PS: Earlier, in another conversation regarding his performance in a term exam, I enquired what his neighbour scored. Pat came his reply, "Why should I know what he scores? Shouldn't I care only about my performance?"
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