God, Where are you!!

S has taken to declaring that she is scared at night times since the last few days. As soon I pull up her blanket and adjust it according to her instructions and then lie down, she starts,  ‘Amma, I am scared’. To my prodding on  what was she scared of , she said she was scared of  ‘poochi’ (insect).  I have told her that there is nothing to get scared of and besides, I was just next to her. She could wake me up any time if she thought some ‘Poochi’ has come to attack her. Then, a couple of nights ago, I told her to recite a shloka and go to sleep.

Last night, she stated that she was scared again. I asked her to recite a shloka. ‘No Amma, I am still scared’, she said.This was how our conversation went:

Me: ‘ There is nothing to be scared of , S. Think of Ummachi (God). Ummachi will not let anything bad happen to you ‘

S: ‘ Amma. I want to see Ummachi (God) ‘

Me: ‘ We can’t see Ummachi. But Ummachi is here next to us. So don’t worry about any poochi. Just go to sleep’

S: ‘Why can’t we see Ummachi?’

Me: ‘Err.. We just can’t see Ummachi. But Ummachi is right here in this room to help us’

S: ‘ Oh, Ummachi has made himself invisible? ‘

Me: (Relieved to have got a lead from her ) ‘Yes, yes, Ummachi has made himself invisible’

S : ‘Amma, If I ask Ummachi to chase away any cat or rat if it comes to me in the night, he will do it? ‘

Me: ( thinking  how poochi has vanished and  it is cat and rat now )  ‘Yes S, he will’

S: ‘Amma, I want to touch Ummachi ‘

Me: ‘ What! No, you can’t, S ‘

S: ‘Amma, I want to touch Ummachi. You know how? ‘ and proceeds to demonstrate by extending her fingers and touching the pillow gingerly.

Me : (Wondering where the conversation was leading to ) ‘No S, you can’t touch Ummachi. He will get tickled if you touch him’

S: (giggling)  ‘ Ummachi will get tickled? What will he do if he gets tickled?’

Me: ‘ He will laugh ha ha ha! S is tickling me ! ha ha ha! ‘

S is in a fit of laughter. Somehow, I manage to wrap up the conversation and S slowly enters zombie land.

Relieved, I snooze away too.

This morning, I am struggling to open my eyes and the movement next to me tells me S is already awake.

‘Amma’, she calls me. ‘What?’, I ask her, trying to draw her close to me and hug her. ‘I want to see Ummachi ‘

‘GOD !’ was all that I could manage to scream.