BoB’s BAnter

Robert Clements is a journalist and newspaper columnist. With

an estimated 6 million readership, Bob’s Banter is published in

over 30 newspapers and magazines in nearly every state in India,

as well as in the top newspapers of Bangladesh, Dubai and

Pakistan, and is also translated into hindi.

rOBerT CLeMenTS

H

e was staring at his phone as I sat next to him on

the bench in the park. “Terrible!” he exclaimed.

“What is?” I asked,

staring at his distraught face.

“I put up a new picture of myself

on Facebook, and no one’s

commented, not even one

like! My day is ruined!”

“Why?” I asked.

“I bought a new jacket just for this pic!” he grumbled.

“Waste of good money. Anyway, how’s your morning

been till now?”

“Good,” I said, “I saw a mother crow, feeding its baby

with a piece of bread I had thrown. You should have

seen the little fellow’s expression! It was like, ‘Mum, I

don’t want bread, I want cake!’ I laughed myself silly!”

“You found that exciting?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “And look at that dog playing with

its pups; have you noticed she already knows which is

the mischievous chap, and continues pushing him over

to irritate him? Like, saying, ‘Son, learn to be patient and

tolerant as you grow up...’”

The young fellow with the phone looked at me with

interest. “And all these things are around us?”

“Little exciting things happening,” I said, “that make

you laugh or quite often make you ponder if there’s a

deeper meaning.”

“What deeper meaning would you get from a mother

crow feeding its baby with bread?”

“Well, it reminds me of asking God for something and

not being satisfied with what I’ve got.”

“Like asking for a car, and then complaining

that He didn’t give you a Mercedes?” asked my

suddenly-interested companion on the park bench.

“Yes,” I said. “And the poor little crow, not

realizing his stomach isn’t ready for a rich cake,

or maybe his mother realizes he’ll continue

wanting cake everyday which

she can’t get him all

the time?”

“Wow!” said the boy.

“All this from just watching a

crow in your garden?”

“No, all this from looking up from your phone

sometimes!”

The boy grinned and looked away into the distance.

“Look at India!” he said.

“What?” I asked puzzled.

“Look how the trees have come together. It seems the

sky has formed a map of India between them!”

“That’s incredible!” I said, looking at the formation.

“It’s like nature speaking!”

“Nature speaking?” I asked, puzzled.

“Saying, God is holding up our country and blessing

the people...” said the boy smiling to himself as he

whispered the words.

“You’re seeing more and hearing more than me,” I said

quietly.

“What a lot I can learn just by looking around,” said

the youngster as he suddenly got interested in what

was happening around, and as he put his phone away,

“Simple joys with deep messages that I had stopped

seeing...”