Changing seasons

She once nursed dreams of becoming a vet, and i'm sure she'd have made a good one. Hadn't she nursed a dying cat back to health by feeding it milk with a dropper? She'd also rescued a three-legged cat and performed minor surgery on it, to save it. In addition to these sick animals, the grounds surrounding her ancient home housed three dogs, twelve cats, and several cows and chickens. Though her dream was never fulfiled, she always had pets at home.
He also grew up amidst animals. His family even had a monkey at one time. The household was crowded with his 8 brothers and sisters, their children, and relatives who flocked by from everywhere. Though he was used to having children around, he didn't have too much patience for them. He just about tolerated the child who took a fancy for his socks and his niece's kids who sat under the dining table playing with everyone's toes.
They loved the children in their family ofcourse, but they were going to really enjoy only their own kids. They got together and the kids arrived. She joked about how she loved her dogs as much as she loved her kids. Nevertheless, they were both very good parents. Then one day, the grandchild arrived. An interesting, chatty infant with moods and a mind of his own, was sure to turn their lives upside down; and that is exactly what happened.
Now they were both sitting up at night, entertaining the little one with their songs and games. They carried him around the house talking, when he suffered from colic. They invented little games for him, and spoke to him for hours. He sometimes got off from work early, just to be with his grandson. He even watched cricket with his month-old grandson, explaining the nuances of the game. He was never too tired for him. He woke up early, did his exercise, read the newspaper and waited for the grandson to wake up. He'd then walk him around the house, showing him the paintings on the wall, the pictures in the house, and the leaves outside. And when he got back from work, he'd head straight for the baby. He had a special smile reserved for the grandson, and his eyes always lit up when he saw him. Considering he was never very demonstrative, he showered the little one with kisses. The baby was definitely the best thing that had happened to him.
She was no different. She was the crazy grandparent, who danced and sang for him, even entertaining him during his bath. She taught him action songs that he enjoyed. She even made up songs for him, and he now sleeps to one of those songs. A reader, she stopped reading. A literati addict, she was now playing only after he'd gone to sleep. She taught him his first prayer by holding his hands together and praying for him. When he was sick, she was the calm one with solutions to every problem. She enjoyed getting him teeny clothes and then dressing him up. And when he slept she'd spend some time just looking at him. If she once claimed she preferred animals to babies, this was one baby she loved more than anything in the world. Not much has changed now.
The little one is 2 months old, and as I write this post, he lies between his doting grandparents cooing and gurgling with laughter, while they entertain him with songs and stories he doesn't yet understand. But he loves my parents, and to them Adiv means the world.