Stealing and Annalakshmi

Two recent conversations (one was posted on fb, but reposting here as a memoir).

A conversation with Nidhi after I lost my phone recently:

Me: I lost my phone

N: Oh, let us find it

Me: I don't know where it is, it fell on the road

N: So you cannot see your phone again, I cannot see your phone again?

Me: No

N: Why?

Me: Because someone else found the phone, took it, liked it, and did not return it back to me.

N: Oh, ok. (After a pause). Its okay. We will find someone's phone and keep it for you.

Me: Uhm, well, if we find someone else's phone then we will try to find whose it is and return it.

N: Why?

Me: Because otherwise, they will feel sad just like I am at having lost the phone.

N: (After a pause) Ok, if we find someone else's phone, we will go to their house, keep it with us for sometime and then give it back, and then we can come home.

Well, everything is so simple and yet so complex

A few days ago we went to a restaurant called Annalakshmi and she saw a big bronze statue of annalakshmi. The following conversation ensued between me and her.

N: Amma who is that?

A: That is annalakshmi.she is the goddess of food and gives us our food. (attempting to explain who Annalakshmi is!)

N: But how can she give us our food?

A: she gives us sun, rain, seeds and helps us grow our food

N: But how does she gives us all that? (Amma is shaken, but fortunately finds some ground again!)

A: well, actually whoever gives us food on any day is our annalakshmi

N: Oh, ok. So if rupa aunty gives us food then

A: she is our annalakshmi

N: If satish appa gives us food

A: he is our annalakshmi

N: but boys cannot be lakshmi. only girls (Ok, amma again shaken...)

A: Oh, so then if satish appa gives us food then he is anna satish appa

and on we went making everyone anna this, anna that :)