my first job ever

poonam said over her chapati at lunch that they were looking for someone in communications.

Communications? i asked.

Yes. communications.

Why don't you speak to priti about it?

and then Pavi came up to me and said so too. speak to priti about it, she said. kalpana had asked her to ask me to speak to priti about it.

and then priti came up to me, before i could go up to her, and said...we're looking for someone in communications.

i said oh? communications?

she said yes. and event management, and fundraising.

hmmm.. i said.

then priti started to tell me what it meant to be in communications. priti with the full weight of her 30 yrs of experience.

and by the time she was done, i was almost convinced.

but i had to speak to kalpana first. and by the time she was done, i was totally convinced.

so there you are. i landed my first job in the social sector as a paid intern. which may not sound like much, but its better than an unpaid intern. from now on, i'm officially saving the world, one little child at a time. through life skills. and communications. also, event management.

isn't that cool? i think so.

dad, however, thinks i'm wasting my talent. i should be in corporate, saving myself. making my money. god knows you're talented anu, why are you throwing it all away?

he has a point, though i'll never admit that to him. he has a point, no doubt. but then i have i point too.

and my point begins with a painted tree. several trees in fact. it was a hot saturday. the indian summer was on. i was smelling of turpentine bananas and delicious paint. it was a small classroom for the littlest children in the school. and it was filled with perfect strangers.

perfect because they were new. and new people are always perfect. with them, there is no familiarity that has bred contempt.

we all painted a wall. with trees. and flowers, and happy loitering clouds. i was putting the grey in the clouds when i made up my mind to save the world.

besides, i'll find the money somehow. i'm going to be a bestselling author remember?