It seemed like a normal parent’s evening at Bookworm. Twenty five parents and their child/ ren were invited to the library to both experience the library and engage with a psychologist on the role of books in the life of a child. The rooms were beautifully arranged, laid out with toys, play tents, blocks, cars, books, colouring material – Bookworm’s usual stims that make reading joyful for all children.
I began my evening with following the parents upstairs to the cool meeting room, learning their names and watching them listen with close attention to the visiting psychologist share thoughts with them. It seemed like a dreamy sort of evening.. so I decided to pop downstairs for some stimulation.
As I descended the stairs, it felt like going down a magic rabbit hole and I was in wonderland. There was Sahaja cheerful and happy trailing two children who were leading her with puzzle pieces like Hansel and Gretel in the forest – coloured bits of wood were being strewn and Sahaja was gleefully picking them up, looking so happy and light. A sight to behold. I turned a corner and heard Geeta before I saw her – half hidden inside a play tent, reassuring a child that his Jenga was not being touched while at the same time, giving another child other coloured blocks to build a complex maze. Her voice was coming from both inside and outside the tent, different voices for different children. Was I hearing things ?
Bindi Su was crowded with two drivers and I bonnet rider who had a stuffed toy held upside down or was I upside down in this glorious scene ? Gulshan was gazing at this sight with a tender smile that I had never seen before , ever !
I decided to move to the usually quiet Reception room to ascertain if I was dreaming and there I encountered Anandita going around in circles with three other children singing Ring – Around – the Roses while roses were dropping out of children’s hands or were those ribbon pieces I could not tell. I tried to figure this out and encountered a child picking at the paint on the door. To quell this, I stood near him and asked him what he was seeing outside. He kept looking outside and slowly began to sing ‘ dashing through the snow… ‘ I picked up the melody and the words and we were jingle belling our way into the song until the 2nd verse. My partner, started ‘ a day or two ago.. and I tried to stumble along – not knowing the second verse , so he helped me by saying ‘ Dashing through the snow.. and we were off for a good many rounds of jingle – belling in February. I thought it cannot get more magical when I spotted Samantha with a tray of chips. She was up the stairs, down the stairs, into the nooks of the washrooms , down the corridor, over into
tents proffering chips to all who met her. I positioned myself strategically and was told ever so politely by a child that everything is lovely – as he gazed upon the fans. He too was in
Wonderland. As this Bookworm space used to be a school, every room has a minimum of six fans and the switchboards are these attractive blocky array of switches and dials that fascinated him. Not to forget the joy of knowing that the light switch connected with the exhaust fans in the washrooms – I stood transfixed at how the ordinary was nothing but extra ordinary and my eyes were opened by a child. He mastered which switch did what, would turn on the fan and watch and the smile unfolding was even better than seeing a kingfisher take off in flight. Fascinating does not even begin to define these moments.
A melodious voice was calling children for cake and out of nowhere, almost from the ceiling appeared Lalita. Just now, she was upstairs. Every one was being addressed as angels, darlings, my child, dear one, son and little girl and sweetheart with their names added on effortlessly and I realised Lalita knows all these precious beings intimately. Fingers were being wiped, cake and popcorn was being offered and no woe in sight ! Had Lalita drunk of a magic potion ? Were we all in a dream ?
‘I am happy’ said a statement on the paper mural laid out in the fourth room. The slightly quieter room where six children were mark making with determination. I stood by the door, drawing on the calm – a gatekeeper to this haven of doing. Madeeha appeared with two children enfolded in her lovely clothes and quickly two more rushed unto her and she herded them all to a pile of books and there was some huddle and quiet joy. Seriously ! I thought, I must return to the ‘ normal’ world upstairs because I may never leave.
But as I climbed the stairs , I encountered a little one who had discovered the Home Based Library room and identified a box that looked exactly like the one at his home. He was dragging this box which was as big as him and rather heavy into the hall. I followed quietly to watch where this wonder would end. He pulled it right up to his mother and clapped. He was done ! Daisy was standing in the hall, stoic and calm while all around her there seemed to be chaos. What is happening in the library ? How did all this happen ? Where did these families come from ? What was our library life before we began this small Home Based Library Program that takes books in boxes with play material to homes where a neurodivergent child lives ? As even more snacks were put on the table, for the parents, I observed a young child with two samosas , one in each hand trying to do a backward climb onto the sofa and I helped her settle in , I stood back and noticed that there were three other children already on this sofa and for a few minutes , these four children sat and stared at the chaos of the adults trying to form t themselves into a group for a photograph. How glorious the world looks when we turn it on its head. I asked everyone to smile for the camera and this is what I got !
If you ever thought that working in the library is hard and tedious, you have not been to a gathering of the kind the team at Bookworm enabled today and you must come ! It will change your life.