L’amour, les Baguettes, Paris

Spring was in the air. Sunny blue skies, fresh green grass, trees bursting with flowers and a near constant breeze. My bedouin parents decided it was too good to stay home and planned our next trip. To Paris. And so began yet another long road trip. We halted in Belgium and savoured a little bit of Ghent. I got to eat waffles with lots of chocolate sauce and strawberries. We sat by the waterfront, walked past busy town squares and called it an early night. We set off before dawn the next morning. I was barely awake when I was dressed and slept fitfully in the car. Hours later, I blinked my eyes open as I felt the car roll to a stop. ‘Zayn!! We’re in PARIS!’ Lolo could hardly sit still. Whatever. I was ravenous and wanted something to eat ASAP. We got out of the car, stretched our legs and made our way to the nearest Boulangerie, where Lolo placed our order in carefully practised French. I grabbed my croissant as soon as it was set on the table. Munching furiously on my glossy, airy and buttery croissant, I studied my surroundings. Not bad. I could spot a park from where I was sitting. Not bad at all! The moment I was done eating, I jumped down and began pulling Papa’s chair, ‘Paaaaark!’ I yelled. I kept at it until they were done gulping down their coffees and had paid the bill. I hopped my way across the street to the most wonderful playground ever! Lovely slides and roundabouts, monkey bars and swings, and the flooring was soft too! It was everything my toddler heart could desire for and more! Lots of kids and parents were around. I played happily until it was time to leave. I put up a big fight, but Papa tricked me into thinking he wanted to race with me and I got distracted. He’s one cunning fox! My worst memory of Paris – Since the second we had arrived in Paris, I had been on a diet consisting mainly of croissants, baguettes and pastries. Back home, I was frequently given fruits or juices, but Lolo and Papa seemed to have completely forgotten about my balanced diet on the trip. It was only a matter of time before my bad diet caught up with me and catch up, it did. One beautiful day as we were strolling through the Tuileries Gardens, I had this strong urge to poop. But try as I might, i just couldn’t! Confused and in pain, I grunted again, harder this time. To no avail. It was really beginning to hurt now and I started weeping. Lolo and Papa stopped my pram, and we huddled behind a tree. Papa loosened my pants and Lolo gave me a tummy massage, but nothing seemed to be working. I was frantic by then, my tears were falling freely, and I was yelling. Is this what childbirth feels like?! Eventually, I passed out, exhausted. When I came to, Papa offered me some very refreshing cool mango juice. After a while, I pooped with minimal effort. Mission accomplished! I was a much happier baby after that. I can happily report that the incident taught my parents a good lesson, and they’ve been hyper-alert to keep my diet balanced ever since. As for my best memory of Paris – it has to be the sight of the Eifel Tower twinkling at night. We were on a night cruise, on the deck of the ship, and I was weaving my way around strangers’ legs, careful not to stray too far away from Lolo and Papa. Suddenly, I heard a countdown being announced. Immediately, Papa whisked me into his arms, and Lolo told me, ‘Zayn!! Look up!!’ Lo and behold! The Eifel Tower towered above us, glittering and shimmering in the night sky like there was no tomorrow. Like me, everyone on the boat seemed spellbound. ‘Stars!’ I whispered. Lolo kissed me and nodded, ‘Yes Zayn, lots of stars!’