Mama is laughing at me

It was a deja-vu moment. S was playacting and I found the incident vastly amusing and couldn't stop myself from laughing. She got upset and started howling seriously.
Apparently I had hurt her feelings by laughing at her.

Rewind 28 years. Similar set up. My mom and brother were playing some game and ignoring me. My protests and attempts to capture their attention all met with amusement and laughter. The laughter further angered me and in true Hindi film style I decided I would commit suicide and that would get their attention.

I marched smartly in to the kitchen and picked up a long sharp knife and dramatically stretched out my small arm and aimed the knife at my tummy. My mom who had decided to take me seriously after all, followed and calmed me down. She got me to give up the knife. I felt I had achieved success, I had her full attention. Before I knew it I received the loudest, tightest slap from her and in a really scary voice she warned me never to try anything stupid like that again. I was shattered, even my little drama hadn't managed to get me some affection. I went to my dad and sobbed my heart out.

I was thoroughly ashamed of myself and lived in constant dread that mom would share this incident with everyone. I took to eavesdropping whenever she was on the phone or she was meeting someone. This, of course, she found even more amusing.

It was only when I was in my late teens that I was able to see the funny side of things and it remains a vastly entertaining story!

Hearing S lament that "Mama is laughing at me", took me back to my own childhood and that day more than 28 years ago :). She is my daughter after all!