My first Holy Communion 1

"Deechechi,What does it taste like,this appam?"I asked Nandita curiously.
I was eight years old,in my fourth standard and half my friends had already had their holy communion.So,when they proudly walked down the aisle to have the appam,poor souls like me had to sit quietly, staring at the lucky ones,wondering what it would feel like after tasting it.So,I decided to quench my curiosity by asking my big sister.
"It doesn't have any taste!"She answered,sitting like an important person.
Her answer did not please me at all.I did not expect such a disappointing answer to my cardinal doubt.
How can something have no taste,I wondered.
"Water is tasteless,odourless and colourless."I remembered my Science teacher saying.
"So,is it like water?"I asked her,eagerly.
"No,not like water!You have to taste it,only then you will know,Natasha!"
"Do you think it would be okay if I walk with my classmates and eat the appam once?"
I had been planning this a number of times,but I never had the guts.
"So,you have never heard the story?"Nandita asked me looking surprised.
I couldn't figure out what she was talking about.
"What story?"
"Once,a girl ate the appam before having her first holy communion and do you know what happened?A voice roared from above,"Who asked you to eat my appam without my permission????????!!!".Everyone in the church looked at the girl with disgust,she got a lot of scoldings.None of her friends talked to her after that.".
I couldnt believe it..I knew she could very well make up stories,she had won prizes for story writing at school.But she seemed serious,I couldn't find anything on her face that would suggest that she was making the whole thing up.
"Where did this happen?"I asked ,still not believing her completely.
"Somewhere in Calicut itself."she answered promptly.
"It was even in the newspapers.I forgot her name..Neethu.. or something like that.Anyway,how will you know?You never read the papers." She continued her narration,nonchalently.
I almost believed her now.I imagined myself as that girl, the angry voice shouting at me from heaven,papa spanking me,my classmates playing games without me ,my photo in the papers...the poor lonely 'me'!Aaargh!!It felt horrible.I was glad that I asked Nandita before carrying out the plan all by myself.
"Do you want to end up like Neethu?"I'll ask myself whenever I'd this strong urge to join the 'appam queue'.So,from that day on,I waited patiently for the day of my holy communion,The day when I would be socially fit to eat the appam.).More than the appam it was about the 'big day ' -the white dress,the white shoes,the crown,the bangles and most importanly the gifts.