Proof of passion is in the papaya!

"Will you eat a plate of papaya fruit to prove it?", I asked my 11 year old son on our walk back from his treat at McDonalds. The kinetic energy from his anger powered his tired legs to accelerate towards the hotel we were put up in Coimbatore. He absolutely hates papaya fruit! 

It was 6 months into the great lockdown in 2020 and we were all suffocated indoors. When my neighbour said she was driving to  Nilgiris to visit her ailing mother, I jumped at the opportunity and accompanied her. I had some work in Coimbatore and thanks to the homeschooling year, I packed my son too! 

We had a wonderful 5 days together and did some cool things. My son was exploring his other interests as the COVID19 lockdown had virtually put a stop to his passion; football. He developed a keen interest in eSports, like million other kids of his age. So much so, he wanted to quit football. A passion for which we had made a joint decision to discontinue main school and pursue homeschooling. 

I reached the hotel few mins after my son had. I was not surprised to see him tucked in one corner of the comfortable king size bed. I could see he was completely upset. "How could you ask a little boy to do something he hates, to prove his passion? I miss mummy and want to go home!" grumbled my son, half asleep. In hindsignt it was a bit cruel of me to have asked him to do that. It was a very, very long night; for me that is. My son was already snoring, which he does when he is tired. "It could be the 8km of walking earlier in the day and not my papaya demand", I consoled myself as I switched of the lights! I was in for a surpise the next day!

We were the first and maybe the only guest at the breakfast room. The lobby manager stopped by to greet us. "What fruits do you have today?", asked my son. "Whatever you want my boy", was the response, which I expected but not what followed. "Can I have a plate of papaya, one omellete and bread?" asked my son. I ordered an onion rava dosa for myself. The silence that followed was defeaning!

To his bad luck the lobby manager took a special interest and brought back a plate filled with atleast a dozen big pieces of freshly cut papaya. I can safely say the 15 mins that followed was something my son would have loved to erase from his memory. He punished himself with about 8 pieces, a few, sandwiched inside the bread and some with the omlette.  When he could take no more he looked up and said, "Now, do you believe that I am serious about eSports?" 

I was happy and sad at the same time. It was a strange feeling. Sad, because I asked for such a thing of him. Happy, for his determination and grit to prove his passion. I promised to buy him a high end gaming desktop when we returned to Chennai.

Now, that's what I call "Papaya Passion." What will you do or have done to prove your passion?

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