“Didi, what shall I do?” my seven-year-old brother whimpers for the twenty-seventh time. I look up from the Human Resource Management flashcards on Quizlet. “Want to play with me?” “What?” “International Business.” His face lights up. Since he forgot his chess board in the other house, this board game has become his favorite. “But,” I say, “We have to set the time first.” “Okay,” he agrees, happy with anything he can get. “How long?” I ask, in a warning voice, “Don’t say too much or complain or else I won’t play.” “Five minutes?” he asks, hopefully turning up his face to look at me. I can’t resist the eyes. Feeling guilty, I reply, “I’ll play for 15 minutes if you arrange the money while I go get a drink.” When I return, he is ready and waiting for me.
“I’m yellow, and you’re blue,” he grins. “Let’s roll only one dice today.” “Why?” “I don’t want to count,” he reasons philosophically. “It will take forever for us to get one round done that way! We’ll roll both, and I’ll add up your numbers for you.” “All right,” he replies. “Let’s start then.” “Three, five, eight,” I say. “Pay 500 Rupees to get out of jail.”
Then, losing all sense of time, I play with my brother until I have to go and prepare tea. Wasted? No, invested. Such an half hour makes up for the all the three e‘s in the past (embarrassments, exasperations, and exhaustions). True!
. . . and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24).
Praise be to God.