My Disco Skirt

It was one of my brother's birthday, don't remember which ones it was, but my parents always bought all three of us a new dress so that we don't feel left out. For all our major shopping needs we would go to Trichy town from our BHEL township as the township did not have a great variety of stores and they were sometimes expensive especially for clothes. So mom, dad, my brothers, and I boarded a DCTC (Dheeran Chinnamalai Transport Corp. Why do I remember this dude? Weird I guess!!!!) bus to Main Guard gate and shopped there. We always clubbed a visit to the market to get veggies on all our trips to town and also a Tutti Fruti at Summer House near Teppakulam.

So the thirteen plus kilometer journey started with both me and my elder brother feeling nausea and lying down on my mom's lap. On reaching town we got off and walked long before we started our clothes shopping. Both the brothers got shirt and trousers in a jiffy and finally it was my turn. I should have been anywhere between 8 or 10 and had no sense of shopping or idea of seller-smartness.

The guy threw on the counter two identical two piece dress (blouse and skirt). One had a pocket in the skirt and the other did not have it. My mom innocently asked him what the price were. He said one of was Rs. 300 and the other was Rs. 400. My mom was now mad and she asked him why the other was Rs. 100 more. To which he quickly replied that it was a "Disco Skirt" and so it was expensive and it was in "pashion" (fashion).

All my little ears heard was "Disco Skirt." Now who would not want a disco skirt? Seriously, would you want to be telling your friends that you have a disco skirt or would you want to tell them that you have an ordinary one? So I told my mom that I want the disco skirt. She looked at me sternly and said no, you are getting the other one and it was better than the disco skirt.

I screamed and said I wanted the disco skirt. My mom squeezed my hand and said I will get the other one. Now I was mad and I started screaming, crying, and also asked my mom why she was squeezing my hand. Then the dirty shop keeper took advantage of the situation and told my mom, "get your daughter the disco skirt." My mom was furious at my behavior and my dad intervened on time to put an end to the drama and bought me the "Disco Skirt." Now I thought everything was good...at least I was happy...until we left the store and started walking towards the market.

Dad silently walked ahead with my brothers while my mom gave me the scolding of my life which I remember till date and never argue with her while she is bargaining. My mom explained to me how she would have bargained with the shop-keeper and gotten me the Disco Skirt for Rs. 300 itself but for my stupidity we had to pay the full price!!!

At that age I thought I was right but looking back today I would do the same thing to my daughter. My wisdom comes from experience and from my mom who scolded me but not with bad words but with her extensive shopping knowledge and I thank her for that. This does not mean that I never did any foolish thing again and embarrass my parents...of course I did and I will write them down too in due time!