The story of Nothing!!!

This is one of those handed-down stories that never fail to evoke laughter when recounted even now. Those were the times when my mother (Amirthavalli) and my chithi (Sujatha) were still in school. Lakshmi (their neice – Babu’s daughter) has just started going to school. On one of those otherwise mundane days, Amirthavalli and Sujatha walked back from school, put down their bags and enquired in Tamil to Shantha: “Manni, any tiffin today?” Manni was her usual breezy self. “Nothing” she replied airily, in English. Just then Lakshmi trotted in. My mother and chithi left to their rooms and settled with their books. Lakshmi akka went, washed, changed and came to her mother. “Manni, (that is how she still addresses her mother taking off after her athais), give me something of nothing.” Manni was clearly stunned. She was quick to sense what was happening. Lakshmi akka did not know what nothing meant, obviously assumed it was some kind of a new dish which manni had prepared. Manni now resorted to explaining things. “Nothing means nothing, it means I have not done anything today” she said. Lakshmi is not the kind of girl who would listen and reason. “I know you gave nothing to Amirthi and Suja. Why should I be left out?! Give me some” she shouted. I guess manni would have been trifle irritated now. She tried to explain again. Lakshmi would have none of it. She was on the floor, rolling and crying. For nothing. Just then, one of my uncles had walked in, saw Lakshmi in tears and attempted to console her. “Nothing must have got over at home. I will buy you some from shop” he said and bought something from the shop. “This is nothing” he told Lakshmi. Akka, I learnt later, was consoled, somewhat. My mother and chithi did not get to eat what was bought from the shop, because they already had ‘nothing’!