PlayStation3 Lands in the Garbage!

His mother, who was bustling around getting the lunch on the table, snapped at him, “ Your Thatha works for the Indian Navy and has been sent to Europe on work for the Government of India…not to go shopping for toys for lazy grandsons, okay!”
Vijay was not going to give up dreaming, “Maaa !” he protested mildly, ‘I’m not that lazy and Thatha did say that he’d get me something special this year.”
With hands on her hips, his mother stopped her bustling about for a moment, ‘Yes, something ‘special’ does not necessarily mean something as expensive as a Playstation 3 or an X Box. Remember Vijay, Thatha earns the salary of a government servant, not the fancy incomes of your schoolmates’ businessmen fathers.”
“Yes, yes, I know…”said Vijay half in jest and half wearily, “And he is going to retire next year and has to save money for his retirement and…”

But throughout lunch, Vijay couldn’t help dreaming about a possible Playstation. Then he wouldn’t have to be nice to that horrid Ravi next door, just for a chance to play on his latest Playstation. Or listen, green with envy, as those boys who had Playstations, sat around during lunch break discussing their clever moves and techniques. He couldn’t wait till tomorrow. Thatha always got him something that made him extremely happy, so there could be a chance, a tiny, tiny chance that even though this Playstation cost as much as an entire month of Thatha’s salary, this year his dream would come true…
   Vijay was woken up by a loud blaring horn, and half asleep, he couldn’t decide whether the horn was part of his dream or was real. Then he heard Thatha’s booming voice, and he was wide awake! Leaping out of bed, he ran out of his room, bare feet. Thatha had arrived. Yippeeeee! Maybe Mama would let him miss school today. Thatha would have so much news; Thatha would take him for a ride in his ancient red convertible and would side with him against Mama, about bunking school! Thatha would…Viyay skidded to a halt and almost fell over Mama’s big flower arrangement as something black and furry shot through, between his legs. What was that? 

Forgetting his Thatha for a moment, he took off behind the furry object and traced it to the kitchen, where it already had its head in the garbage bin! Vijay was just about to reach for the collar of this black pup, when it pulled its snout out of the bin and turned to him, wagging its tail. It had a banana peel on its nose! At that moment, Vijay fell in love. He wanted to grab this adorable, naughty puppy and hide it so that he wouldn’t have to return it to its owner. He wanted to run with it on the beach and take a picture of it with a banana peel on its nose. Oh, he wanted this pup more than anything else in the world. Whose could it be?

At that moment the puppy tipped the entire garbage bin over, emptying out a huge mess onto the clean kitchen tiles. There was a loud wail, just behind him, as Mama chose just that moment to enter the kitchen, followed by Thatha, who burst out laughing.
Grabbing his grandson and giving him a bear hug, he whispered in his ear, “Do you like him? Our friends’ dog had a litter and I picked this rascal for you.”
Vijay lit up, “You mean this pup is mine, Thatha? Wow! He’s adorable…he’s going to drive Mama mad, he’s…” Just then Vijay remembered the gift he’d been earlier hoping for…the PS3. Somehow, compared to this furry bundle, a Playstation3 seemed so boring! Trust Thatha to get him something that was just perfect. He grabbed the pup, cuddled up with him and said, “He’s going to be called PS3.”
Sitting down at the kitchen table with the hot cup of coffee Mama had given him, Thatha looked perplexed, “PS3? What does that stand for?” he asked.
“Playstation 3!” Vijay said, winking at Mama.