HALF TICKET

This is an incident which took place when my dear son was a little kid. He was about three and a half years old and went to kindergarten. One day they were taken on a bus ride, by public transport. Their school believed in a hands on approach to learning. For Diwali they made greeting cards. We parents sent in self addressed envelopes with a stamp on it. The kids were then taken to the Post Office in their school bus. They had also taken a stool along with them. Once there, they all stood on the stool next to a Post Box and mailed their cards. Then they went in and saw the Postal Staff at work. When he returned home, he rushed to the door to check if there was any mail for him. When I asked him what he saw at the Post Office, he said, 'they all did THAK THAK with a round stamp.'

Coming back to the Bus Ride. They were all asked to get 1 Rupee from home. This was the cost of a Half Ticket from their school to Andheri Station. We were eagerly waiting for him at home, to narrate his newest experience. He came home all excited.

Me : How was the bus ride. Did you buy your own ticket?

He : (Chuckling) I did. But you know what, I told the conductor 'EK HALF, ANDHERI STATION, and yet he gave me a FULL TICKET.

He brandished the Re 1. ticket in front of our eyes.

It took us a minute to understand his amusement. And then it was we who were chuckling.

In his innocence the child had thought that a half ticket would actually be a ticket torn into a half.