Innocence...

The other day at a concert of a famous artiste, I ran into a very good acquaintance, who was there with family. The daughter, a cute, naughty kid all of 4+ years, was also there, prepared with her toys and sketch book to keep herself occupied while her parents and grandparents enjoyed the music. I took a chair next to this group.

ಪುಟ್ಟಿ: ಅಮ್ಮ, ಯಾರು ಅವರು?
ಅಮ್ಮ: ನಿಂಗೆ ಅನಿತಾ ಆಂಟಿ ಗೊತ್ತಲ್ಲ್ವ? ಇವರು ಆವರ ಅಣ್ಣ
ಪುಟ್ಟಿ: ಅವರ ಹೆಸರೇನು?
ಅಮ್ಮ: ನಿಂಗೆ ಅವರ ಹೆಸರು ಕೂಡ ಗೊತ್ತು!
ಪುಟ್ಟಿ: ಇಲ್ಲ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ
ಅಮ್ಮ: ಅಣ್ಣನ ಹೆಸರು ಏನು?
ಪುಟ್ಟಿ: ಅನಂತ್ ನಾರಾಯಣ್
ಅಮ್ಮ: ಅವರ ಹೆಸರೂ ಅದೇನೇ!
ಪುಟ್ಟಿ: ಅದು ಹೇಗೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯ?
ಅಮ್ಮ: ಯಾಕೆ ಸಧ್ಯ ಇಲ್ಲ?
ಪುಟ್ಟಿ: ಅವರೂ ಅನಂತ್ ನಾರಾಯಣ್ ಆಗಿದ್ದರೆ, ಇಬ್ಬರು ಒಂದೇ ತರಹ ಇರಬೇಕಲ್ಲವ?

Kid: Amma, who is he?
Mom: You know Anitha aunty? He is her brother.
Kid: What's his name?
Mom: Know what? You already know his name...
Kid: No, I don't
Mom: What's Dad's name?
Kid: Ananth Narayan
Mom: His name is also the same...
Kid: No, no... How can that be?
Mom: Why not?
Kid: If he is also Ananth Narayan, shouldn't he look the same as Dad?

Forward 45 minutes. The concert was fabulous and we were engrossed in the music.

ಪುಟ್ಟಿ: ಅಣ್ಣ, ಅವರು ನಿನ್ನ ಫ್ರೆಂಡಾ?
ಅಪ್ಪ: ಹೌದು ಪುಟ್ಟಿ
ಪುಟ್ಟಿ: ಹಾಗಾದ್ರೆ ನೀನು ಅವರ ಜೊತೆ ಮಾತೇ ಆಡ್ತಾ ಇಲ್ಲ?

Kid: Is he your friend?
Dad: Yes, he is a very good friend of mine.
Kid: Then why aren't you both talking?

Towards the end of the concert, I was showing her an old trick of squinting my eyes just for fun. The kid goes:

"ನೀವು ಹಾಗೆ ಮಾಡಿದ್ರೆ, ದೊಡ್ಡವರಾದಾಗ .. ಅಲ್ಲ, ಇನ್ನೋದ್ಸಲಿ ದೊಡ್ಡವರಾದಾಗ ಕಣ್ಣು ಹಾಗೆ ಆಗಿ ಹೋಗತ್ತಷ್ಟೇ"

"You know, you shouldn't be doing that, 'cos when you grow up... errr.. when you grow up the next time, your eyes will get stuck like that".

Why can't all kids retain their innocence for ever?