The Birds, the Bees, and a Six Year Old's Queries

The motley bunch were gathered around The Tree, and to a background conversation of the city's unpredictable weather, I was bouncing a five year old on my knee. Squealing with glee the little one gave me a tight hug and demanded we play "oh-ma-gho-shi" (for the uninitiated, it's one of those many clapping games girls play), and then, she suddenly sat upright, looked at me in a puzzled fashion, glanced down at her ironing board flat five year old chest, and then pointing at me, queried, "didi, didi (older sister), why do you always wear these two things?"

I remember quite clearly when my mother sat me down for The Talk. She drew labelled diagrams, answered all questions, placed everything in the context of our religious beliefs, societal background, family morality, and so on.

Apparently, not all children receive The Talk from their parents. I recall a day in school, when a nun was called as a guest lecturer to educate us on the finer details of hitting puberty and the beyond. She was quite scientific about it - used graphs and statistics, and pictures; even threw in a flowchart or two. And then, right at the end, she stopped, "Any questions?" Now, I was bursting with two questions, each with a capital 'Q', but the hall remained silent, and perhaps out of reverence for this, perhaps not, I remained silent as well, and the questions remained unanswered.

A lot of teens supposedly learn about the birds and the bees from their peers. I have amusing memories of my very first girly hostel conversation on The Topic. Things were going smoothly, until, with almost a shriek of shock, my conversation-mate leapt up, "You still haven't done it?? You are 20 years old and you still haven't done it??" Then, remembering that sound travels quite easily through our hostel walls, she lowered her voice, and in quite an urgent and convincing manner, while offering all her help and support, part scolded, part threatened, and part exhorted me to make sure I got laid before my 21st birthday.

Last I checked, it wasn't a crime for a virgin to celebrate her 21st birthday. But then, I might not have been so sure of this if my mom hadn't sat me down, those 10/12 odd years ago, and had a talk about the birds, the bees, and that oft misunderstood process of pollination.