Off the mark (!)

It was a big day for the family members of the little one.  The household had some get-together organised. Yes, it coincided with the result of the toddler! It was probably her first year at the school. Needless to say, like all, this baby had managed to pass with flying colours.  The scorecard was catchy. It enlisted little lass’ achievement. It also described in detail how the baby participated in school activities.  Come on, after all, it was a kindergarten. Grades don’t matter. The school knows. Parents know. Yet there was a scorecard.
The family concluded that finally the little one had learnt to share and also acquired ‘necessary social skills’. As the guests arrived for the get-together, they also had a look at the scorecard. All of them said grades don’t matter. Yet they read it carefully. Some said it’s immaterial. Some said it’s a beginning of a bright future. Some had a word of caution, here is the real beginning and studies are tough now on. Yes, all of them were talking about how to learn alphabets. Children at tender age can learn fast, all of them concluded. They can unlearn at the same rate, said some sensible guy and some sense prevailed. They talked about it a lot and said scorecard doesn’t matter.
The child was yet to enter the halls of learning. It was blissfully unware what the fuss was about. And someone pointed; the scorecard must be preserved. Somebody else narrated how they have maintained all certificates and grade cards from kindergarten up to PhD! 
The baby saw some glossy paper lying on the sofa and started mishandling it. The mother ran to snatch it away. The baby was fiercely trying to hold on to it. The baby saw the class photograph on it and was excited. She told mother, let’s sit and I will show you my friends. Come on, it’s scorecard, handle with care, the mother screamed.
Finally mother managed to get it safe. All heaved a sigh of relief. They saved it from a great disaster. The mother laughed and taunted the baby that she wouldn’t understand its value. She said, my dear baby, you can’t read it too.
Yes, they were relieved.  The mother made it inaccessible to the toddler. Yes, baby could have torn it. The baby was in tears and her heart was torn apart. It was just a piece of glossy paper, perhaps the baby thought. After all, it’s a scorecard, they said!  They scored a brownie point.  They had done their efforts to save the scorecard to a fare-thee-well.
KanChan


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