How I wished his mom had told him this when he had just begun to sing at an early age.
Or at least thrashed his bum when he kept stubbornly at it.
Instead, I imagine she would have coaxed him on. Prodded him with vehement zeal to participate in all singing competitions. Irrespective of the fact that he simply couldn't sing!
As a result, we have to suffer. His besoor melody.
So here we have Mr R, a resident of our building, who sings at every Independence day celebration without fail. He has no tune. Only a voice. Now what can voice alone accomplish without a good tune?
We all stand with bated breath, struggling to contain our laughter, while he goes on belting one patriotic song after another. One..two..three songs..oh no..someone tell him to please STOP! At least now. But they all stand with eyes glued on him, as he stands super confidently literally shouting into the mike.
Finally he pauses. Our breathing gets normal.
Oh no..
He's begun one more.
A few women retreat into the background, suppressing their giggles.
A teenage boy throws a wild 'you forced me to come down for this!' look at his passive dad.
The flag flutters helplessly in the background. Some crows are watching the show perched high up on a tree branch. They are glad they can kaw kaw better than him.
The neighbors, (with cotton plugs jamming their ears), from the nearby building must have closed their doors and windows and are perhaps waiting for him to finish.
The D day breakfast simmers in the close vicinity, setting growling tummies into a restless frenzy.
Now singer R's wife joins him too. Thankfully, she's good. So she tries hard to save the day. But her obstinate hubby soon overpowers her melodious voice with his own coarse one.
And to think he daily does his vocal practice, waking up at five AM everyday..without fail!
Finally the duo stop their singing. The mike back safe in the secretary's hands, we all literally run to have our nashta..
before the fellow starts singing again!!!
If only his mother had beaten him black n blue back then....!
