Just Li'Es

I have decided to pursue my hobby, declared my husband no sooner than he returned from the business school he worked in.

What hobby are you talking about? As far as I know you don’t have any hobby excepting teaching and researching, I said.

This is the trouble with all wives. They don’t encourage their husbands to indulge in pastimes. They expect them to do their bidding all the time, muttered my husband.

That’s not fair. I have never prevented you or stopped you from doing whatever interested you, have I?

Well, let’s forget the past. I am beginning my music lessons from tomorrow, he informed.

What, I gasped. Are you serious? Don’t you know one needs to have a good voice to sing? How can you ever think of learning music with a baritone voice like yours, I said all in one breath.

I knew you would say that. And I regret not having learnt earlier. If I had started a few years ago, by now I would have been giving performances in all the reputed sabhas in the city, he said sounding very confident of himself.

But what made you get this brainwave, I asked still not able to believe his resolve.

You know the motivation has come from the most unexpected source. I never imagined that Jessie could inspire me to such an extent and that I would be able to decide so fast.

Who is this Jessie, I said becoming curious.

She makes it a point to attend my class every day, in fact she doesn’t attend anyone else’s class for that matter. The moment I begin my lecture she stares at me fondly and goes off to sleep. Her siesta lasts as long as I am lecturing and once I stop she walks out quietly without disturbing anyone. It only shows how much she likes listening to my voice, said he with pride.

Do the others in the class also join the canine, I said tongue-in-cheek.

Then, you better begin your music lessons with a lullaby, I suggested even before he could get the full import of my words.