"You Must Love to Share Your Toys!"

I have this conversation every day with Yusuff. Born shortly after his dictatorial, loud, lime-light loving and extrovert bigger sister, Yusuff is my little mysterious thinker who can sit in a corner dismantling electronic items all day long.

We waited in anticipation for him to start talking but all he would do would be to bat his long eyelashes over his big round eyes listening intently to our conversation.

"Share what, Yusuff?"

"YOUR TOYS!" When he did finally begin to speak, it all came out full sentences and in ALL CAPS to boot.

I tell him that some of my things can not be shared.

"BUT YOU MUST LOVE TO SHARE YOUR TOYS, MAMA!"

Well, before his full sentences, his first word after Mehmeh and Babah was "SHARE!" As you can imagine, this was due his dictator sister hoarding all the toys. In fact, his first three-word sentence was "MUST SHARE, TATAK!" Tatak being Kakak and Kakak being "big sister."

"YOU MUST SHARE YOUR STABBLE, MAMA!"

We both look up at my scrabble board, which is stashed away out of reach but unfortunately, it is not out of sight. We have this conversation every single day of why some of Mama's toys cannot be touched. (And I don't have that many anymore, if you're wondering).

"WHY YOU TANNOT SHARE YOUR STABBLE, MAMA?"

I love these little sessions with Yusuff. We talk alot but this is when I can get up, close and personal with him. Tasneem already understands that my Scrabble board is off limits. She also understands why. As for her brother, he's getting noisier and talkative everyday but that's not a patch on the amount of attention Tasneem needs.

"WHY, MAMA?"

It's fun to chat with him, even if he still remains bewildered that I cannot share my STABBLE. And it must be confusing, afterall I'm the one who has been asking Tasneem to share with him ever since he was born.