The Battle in the skies

*Taken from my blog archives*

Man, I feel so sleepy now, thanks to my cousin, Tammy who kept me awake all night. As you all know, yesterday was the day of solar eclipse and Tammy was all freaked out about the whole “moon blocking the sun” thingy. She thinks the sun and the moon are having a battle out there in the skies and through out the night kept me up with her fricking out of the world doubts. Here’s what happened, at least of what I remember :

Tammy (screaming into my ears, as the clock struck one): Chechiiii!
Me ( sleepy): Huh?
Tammy (shaking me up): Chechi, get up na!
Me: Uh huh
Tammy: Only a few more hours left!
Me: Few more hours? For what?
Tammy: For the result!
Me: Oh that’s okay sweetheart. It’s over. I know you messed up that test of yours coz of the flu. Once in a while, a zero is okay. Not just okay, it's great! Absolutely, no problem.
Tammy: Noooo. I’m not talking about my result. I’m talking about the OTHER result
Me: Ah, you didn’t know that did you? UPA won with a 275-256. But that was a week back. Why should you worry now?
Tammy (yelling out of rage): I’M TALKING ABOUT THE BATTLE! THE ONE BETWEEN THE SUN AND THE MOON!
Me: Oh, that? What about that now?
Tammy (at the verge of tears): What if moon wins? Will we ever get to see day light again?
Me: Sweetheart, for the fourteenth time, the sun is very powerful as compared to the moon. I mean, the moon doesn’t even produce it’s own light. It depends on the sun. SO how would it “win”?
Tammy: So, the sun’s going to win right?
Me: Yeah, dearie. Trust me, the sun would surely rise in a few hours. Now go to sleep, you’ve got school tomorrow.
Tammy (reluctantly): …Okay…

10 mins later

Tammy: You’re sure aren’t you?
Me (irritated): Yaaaaa

15 mins later
Tammy (nudging me): But chechi, what if today’s moon’s lucky day?
Me (losing my control): Aaaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhh. JUST SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP, YOU LIL PESKY PEST!

And then, there was peace…

Grandma helped us add some spice to this hype over solar eclipse with a story narration from her part. It’s like decades ago, our ancestors used to believe that the solar eclipse occurs because the snakes inhabiting the land grew so gigantic that they reached the skies and swallowed the sun. On the day of the solar eclipse they used to cut out coconut palm fronds and beat them against the ground. They thought that by doing so it would make the snake barf the sun out. Tanku was all confused and was like, “But won’t the sun be covered with vomit then?” Uh oh, stumped!