Mommy’s secret: The monster in my house (an essay by a 4th grader)
by neo
A really scary monster lives in my house. The monster gets very angry when Mommy makes mistakes and doesn’t listen to him. Like once when Mommy burnt a roti, the monster got angry and threw his dinner plate at Mommy. The plate flew out of his hands as if it were under an awesome Accio spell. The food from the plate made a mess on Mommy’s pants like the time my sister Bhavana vomited on Mommy because I put salt in her milk, but I never did!!
When the monster gets angry I have to take Bhavana to our room and close the door and wait there until Mommy opens the door. Sometimes, in the room, Bhavana gets scared and she does peepee. But I am brave. Yesterday, I was so brave, I came out with my bow and arrow to fight the monster. The monster was shouting at Mommy, so I shot him with my arrow. The monster didn’t even notice me, maybe because I was wearing my Invisibility Cloak. But my Invisibility Cloak didn’t work with Mommy. She saw me and started crying even louder and screamed “Go back inside!”
Even when our room door is closed I can hear the monster. He uses dirty words like the big boys in Mrs. Shah’s class. Mommy has told me to never ever use those words. But she told a lie because when she was talking with Geetika aunty I heard her use the same dirty words. I use dirty words in my Avada Kedavra spell – my mean nanny disappeared and never came back after I made my monster face, spat at her, and shouted “Bitch! Bitch!!”.
Mommy shouts at the monster because if you talk softly the monster cannot hear you. One day when I was hiding in the room she was shouting “STOP! STOP!” and then suddenly she stopped shouting. The next day Mommy’s eye became black and she looked funny like a racoon so she didn’t take me to Jayesh’s birthday party. I never even saw the clown and everyone got a Spiderman mask.
Sometimes, when the monster is in a good mood, he does fun things like making paper UFOs and he makes funny names of dinosaurs like “Singasongosaurus”. He also teaches me to ride my bicycle. Bhavana is too small to have her own bicycle so she cries when I ride mine. The monster makes me laugh with funny jokes like: “How do elephants talk to each other ? On the elephone!”
Mommy told me that the monster is our secret, so I should not tell anyone. But that day, at school, Bhavana started crying because she was scared to go home and her teacher asked her why. So Bhavana told her about the monster. But I didn’t want the teacher to know Mommy’s secret so I told the teacher that Bhavana was lying.
When I grow up I want to become strong so I can kill the monster. Today I put toothpaste on the monster’s cake because if you eat toothpaste, your mouth becomes clean and you won’t say dirty and mean things. I also eat lots of spinach and I’m learning many new spells like Expecto Patronum and Impedimenta that I can use against the monster. But I don’t have a wand yet.
*
No related posts.
Neo, You are becoming an expert at writing very very relevant and message-packed posts using satire as a vehicle. This one’s no different. I can only imagine how terrible it might for kids to witness domestic violence at their house. What influence does it have on their tender minds? What do such kids grow up to be?
Hats off to you for attempting to narrate such incidents from a 4th grader’s point of view.
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these kids grow up to be maladjusted adults who had to grow up too quickly as kids & missed out on the carefree abandon that normal kids enjoy. when they start earning, they try to recapture their lost childhood but end up looking immature or lonely in this pursuit. they are afraid of confrontation & if they end up in one, there’s a high probability of it ending disastrously. they become frustrated adults with low self-confidence & social interactions are generally a challenge for them because when younger, they had to carry this “secret” & put on a happy face while interacting with others. they are prone to substance abuse either to alter their behavior, gain temporary self-confidence, or ease the lifelong pain & frustration of an unstable childhood.
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Disturbing to say the least. I hooped that you wouldn’t reveal who the monster was and leave it to the reader to make their own impression. Keep your opinions coming. Cheers.
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Nice one, very relavant to current problems.
Anyways, could guessed at the very early stage of reading the post as who will be the monster :-)
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I agree with Sriram. It is quite obvious that the monster is daddy. Why say it. Silence screams out loud.
But very well written.
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or may be she is a single mother and a monster is his bf
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Loved your post. Domestic violence is a subject no one really talks about. Really nice way to express it from a child’s mind.
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Ya..U shudnt hav revealed th daddy part, it was pretty obvious. Nice otherwise !
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The monster in my place was my grandmother….still feel bad for my mom and why I didnt/couldnt do much about it..
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@Sriram @Chica @Advitiya – Thanks for that tip. I took out that last line.
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Nicely written from that perspective!
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I hope you will read this and may be if its worth then post something related to this on your website: http://tinyurl.com/ydxaklm
Perhaps a post in your style might just turn more heads towards this. Forget it if you don’t like it.
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Sunil,
It’s an interesting article. What are your thoughts on this ? If you get a chance, send me a mail – neo at neoindian dot org.
Thanks,
-Neo
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So this made me uncomfortable. In other words, it works.
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Well written !
Makes an interesting read and at the same time conveys the message!
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Densaugeo … Lumos…
I solemnly swear that I am your A1 Fan…AC..
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M.V. :-)
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Very very well written. I’ve been a lurker for a while and loved your amazingly funny posts, but this one, in its poignancy made me de-lurk.
Also, It made me really happy to know that you write bout reality and emotions as brilliantly as you write humor.
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Dreamcatcher: Thanks for the encouragement!
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its so sensitively told from a child’s perspective!!! brilliant neo…
domestic violence is so common and unnoticed
message very well conveyed!!!
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Deepthi: It is unnoticed and yet it is the source of so much of other violence. The statistics on kids who witness abuse and then grow up to repeat it are heartbreaking. I
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The last paragraph is brilliant. The way you managed to convey innocence and wrath in same breath makes it seem like a contrasymphony of emotions.
Sharing.
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± Thanks!
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brilliant post…. i have goosebumps after reading this… a very important and relevant subject handled very well
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Monika – thanks :)
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‘The next day Mommy’s eye became black and she looked funny like a racoon so she didn’t take me to Jayesh’s birthday party. I never even saw the clown and everyone got a Spiderman mask.‘
Very well written!! Such posts should be given to all Monsters to read… but I think they need much more. They need Momma to pick her two babies and walk out of the Monster’s life. Unfortunately that isn’t easy either, apart from the social stigma and lack pf support from most families, there is also a strong chance that the monster will follow them wherever they go. He will agree to forgive Momma this one mistake, if she makes sure she doesn’t do anything else to make him lose his temper.
And soon the two children will also learn to walk on egg shells.
Then when she is sixty she will wonder why her kids have grown up into unhappy, ungrateful adults… and by then she will know she can’t leave him ever because he can’t manage without her. He needs her. The first time the Monster hit her she was a victim, after that she became a volunteer. Maybe she did not know it then,nobody told her….
She was brought up to believe it was her duty and destiny to save her relationship with the monster. No matter what.
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Indian homemaker,
+100 and please take a bow for that insightful comment. Great work on the Joru Ka Gulaam stuff on your blog. Subscribed!
-neo
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Wow! what an excellent post that said it all about how the lives of little ones in the families are affected as they grow in the atmosphere filled with fear and pain.
Brilliant work at portraying the emotions that race a young mind as he sees his mother suffer at the hands of the monster .
Keep up the fantastic work, I’d love to drop by often.
Cheers!!
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chatterbox,
Thanks and I hope to see your comments on my future posts!
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Very well written but very disturbing. nice work!
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Thanks Deepa!
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You rock, little fella! Your mommy is lucky to have a spinach-packed you with a bow and arrow.
When you grow up, will you save the second copy of your book for me?
(And a hi-5 for spelling bicycle right! :) )
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Gauri,
I don’t think his mommy feels particularly lucky. :-|
-n
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Vikram:
The not so-fun-side of a savage reaction – whether it’s throwing a dinner plate or putting a vile comment in print – is that you’ve lost your chance to take it back when you feel moronic about it later. What better example of that than the poignant post at hand? :)
As for the mom’s luck – I’ll take your word for it.
-” ‘g’ “
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“‘g’”:-)
Checked out yr blog, u rock! That was a very dignified response hats off to u. Sorry for my previous comment. After reading yr blog I can see u’re not insensitive but maybe too sensitive. yr ‘shallow’ comment is bcos either u and Neo r very gd friends of each other or u know hte mom very well.
Neways, just wanted to say sorry I take it back. Sorry again and God bless.
Neo keep writing dude! ;)
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Been following your blog for quite some time now.
Quite different from what you usually write.
Liked the way you wrote it from the child’s viewpoint.
Nice.
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Axea, thanks!
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Neo,
A heart wrenching post it is, its not just the directly impacted to be blamed, we as neighbours or friends need to report domestic violence. Domestic violence is just like any bad addictions , it needs to be cured.
Very well written
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sreelu,
My roommate and I reported on our neighbors once (in the US). When the cops arrived, the wife changed her story so much the cops probably thought we had called in as a prank.
By the following week it was back to hearing the screams and the thuds of things being thrown around.
-Neo
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It is tricky to help an abused because an abused has too much invested in the relationship an outsider is just an outsider.
How to help an abused
http://girlsguidetosurvival.wordpress.com/all-about-relationships/how-to-help-an-abused-2/
Peace,
DG
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It took me a couple of reads to understand what it meant. Its not your usual brand of humor but no less effective. Also, I wonder about the selective use of names. Is there any special meaning attached to Bhavana?
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never mind,
There’s no special meaning to any of the names. I just picked some out of thin air..
-n
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Awesome post – The monster in my house (an essay by a 4th grader) – http://bit.ly/9pciiC @neo_indian
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Very poignant. OTOH, there is also the the other side of the coin where roles are reversed. It is not discussed with the same earnestness probably due to the lesser number of occurrences. Yet they are equally distressing and bring in their own set of complications. And in most cases the victims do not seem to get sympathetic ears for their plight and what makes it worse is that the laws are also not in their favour.
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Chennagi bardavre, oodi http://neoindian.org/2010/04/05/mommys-secret-the-monster-in-my-house-an-essay-by-a-4th-grader/
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http://neoindian.org/2010/04/05/mommys-secret-the-monster-in-my-house-an-essay-by-a-4th-grader/ – (great post by. @neo_indian)
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RT @tantanoo: http://neoindian.org/2010/04/05/mommys-secret-the-monster-in-my-house-an-essay-by-a-4th-grader/ – (great post by. @neo_indian)
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Yesterday I read this post and it was awesome and disturbing at the same time.
Today I read this: http://whabook.blogspot.com/2010/04/adam.html and it’s even more awesome and disturbing. Maybe you’d like to take a look at it, Neo.
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Sreeyesh,
Yes, that was awesomer and disturbinger. :-|
-Neo
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Neo,
you outdid yourself…Take a bow !
could feel my goosebumps rising…
what a pity , Men abuse the strength God has given them…
From the Protector to the Predator …
(not that today’s woman needs any protection,but not every woman is fortunate enough to become today’s woman :( …)
what a pity…
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Payoshni,
If by “today’s woman” you mean a liberated woman, I guess you’re right. But then, nothing of value comes easy. “Today’s woman” needs to be prepared to fight for her rights..
-N
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Neo,
Very well written. I must admit that i did not expect you write about such a serious and disturbing issue so well . I have been your follower for quite sometime now loved your previous funny posts.
I liked the way you kept the Monster a secret ” when its so obvious that its the man in the house.”
I wish such people learn their lessons and atleast behave well and think about their childrens future.
And enjoy the childhood of their kids, they dont know what they are missing on.
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Twinks – thanks. Although the part about keeping the Monster’s identity a secret was an idea prompted by the early commentors on this post.
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So, Superfreakonomics says, 51% of Indian men and 54% of women think domestic abuse is acceptable under certain situations. And apparently, burning dinner is an acceptable warrant for abuse!
It is a fairly common practice in arrange marriages for the bride’s family to mention what a wonderful cook she is and how she prepared all the snacks they just ate at the “bride-viewing-ceremony” (for the lack of a better term). Then, it is not surprising that the bad cooking is a leading cause of violence. I am not justifying but just saying that maybe the bride-to-be’s family needs to re-evaluate what they consider marriageable skills and how it would impact their daughter’s marriage.
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Never Mind,
Yes, but it is not the presence or absence of any skill in the abused, but rather the absence of morality or humanity in the abuser that is behind all abuse..
-Neo
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There is no excuse for abuse. Alternative term to “bride-viewing-ceremony” could be “show and tell” :) .
Peace,
Desi Girl
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[...] : Neo Indian What : Mommy’s secret: The monster in my house (an essay by a 4th grader) Spicy : An essay you will like reading is all we want to say about this post. Thanks Monika for [...]
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Superbly written i must say. . It’s my first visit to ur Blog and well the post definitely deserved to be in Blogadda Spicy Posts. . Will be waiting for ur next post. .
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Thanks Savvy!
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Very well written.
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Thanks :)
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So far so good.. Adults don’t realize what impact they put out to the younger generation. Be it by abusing the mother or by being against nature or as a matter of fact, anything; they just become bad parents!
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Sach, sach! :)
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came back to twitter after a month, and found this. now i know why i still follow you. thank you.
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Ok, I’m officially an ardent admirer, and I grudgingly admit that I wish I could write this well. This piece is heart wrenching and yet, sadly, very very real.
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Neo, this post is really very touching.
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[...] Mommy’s secret: The monster in my house (an essay by a 4th grader) [...]
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very well written!
sometimes I think that children are the worst sufferers in domestic abuse situations. Their minds can’t grapple with the facts and they become scarred for life.
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Sad.
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Awesomely written….i really loved the way it has be written frm the point of view of a child….
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As an ex-victim of domestic abuse, this article brought tears to my eyes. I could identify with many situations mentioned here and I thank my stars that I had the necessary financial independence and courage to walk out of all this in the middle of one snowy night in the USA, before I got destroyed completely.
It’s a myth that ‘educated and cultured’ people don’t do it. My ex-husband was an IIT-graduate, with a Ph.D from one of the top universities in the US and Indian classical music as his hobby; his father was recipient of a prestigious science award from GOI. We need to spread more awareness of this problem.
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[...] The children in such marriages grow up confused depending on what the problems were – the sons and daughters might see it as ‘normal’ for couples to live in such circumstance…. A girl today knows from the time she’s a young adult that marriage is not a one way street. She [...]
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[...] Neo Indian had also blogged about, ‘Mommy’s secret: The monster in my house (an essay by a 4th grader)’. [...]
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Its beautifully written.
Especially the last bit…what a innocent yet emphatic way to address a very very serious topic.
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Strong!
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This one wanted to make me cry…Very well written Sire…
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