The ball that set the feet rolling again!

Vibha was worried and rightly so! Her pre-teenagers, along with their friends, were becoming lazy, tech-addicts and lonely.

One day she found her son hiding the remote behind the sofa cushion, because he did not want to share his T.V. time watching his friend’s favourite show. She tried to convince him but all her logic fell into deaf ears.

“Mama, he does the same when I go to his house!”

Vibha wondered if the kids were growing up right. She realised that to get them outdoors and moving, she would have to get the entire neighbourhood kids on their feet!

Luckily, a new sports academy was set up and a few sports were introduced. Vibha went home with a new basketball.

Her children were eager to begin their basketball coaching at the new sports academy. Vibha initially accompanied them. One by one, all her children’s friends wanted to know about the academy. She spread the word passionately and told parents how playing a sport can help the children in their academics too.

Her efforts paid off and the children from her neighbourhood started playing basketball.

Vibha knew that the children had become fond of basketball, but she did not know that they were absolutely in love with the sport until, one day, the old ball had a burst bladder!

R.I.P., basketball!

What followed by way of posts on the face book pages of these children stunned Vibha!

Her children posted a picture of the disfigured ball and almost instantly, there were about a dozen mourners. Some even wrote comments like, “R.I.P. our favourite ball!”

Vibha was moved and in spite of a tough day at work, she took the children to a sports shop to replace the flattened ball!

The happiness on the face of the children made up for Vibha’s efforts.

The next day when she woke up she saw the old ball sitting pretty, near her bedside. She took the ball in her hand and inspected it. The tear in the bladder was stitched by rough and crooked stitches by her son the previous night.

The crooked stitch gave a new look to the flattened ball...

It was then that Vibha had realised how the old ball had become an integral part of her children’s life!