A Daughter’s First Hero
A short story of a father who helps his daughter conquer her fear
The lap of nature is the best place for mother-daughter time in October. For my daughter and me, this place was the children’s section of a neighboring park. We have so many happy memories of evenings spent well. For me, they were an opportunity to recharge and soothe the mind. My daughter loved to expend energy on the swings and the giant slide. It was a win-win for both of us.
That day, the park was a tranquil haven. The green of the grass and leaves energized and soothed us. The noise of traffic and bustle of the city couldn’t reach us. Even the birds seemed to enjoy a siesta. The pleasant breeze and gentle sunlight added to the soporific effect. We almost had the park to ourselves — there was just another little girl and her father. Like my daughter, the girl was about five years old.
The father nodded respectfully and stooped to ruffle his daughter’s wildly enchanting curls. She looked up to her dad and smiled with love and adoration. When she saw my daughter, her eyes lit up. My daughter approached the girl and broke the ice: “Do you want to play on the Jhoola? Soon, others will be here, and we will have to wait our turn.”
“Yes! What is your name?”
“Shree. What’s your name?”
“Maya.”
Within minutes, they became best friends — promising to meet here every day, holding hands, and playing. Soon, I settled on a bench to watch them play together. The happy smiles and animated prattle interspersed with tinkling laughter warmed my heart.
As they sat on the swings, Maya instructed her dad to stop hovering and sit on a bench. With a rueful smile, the man scratched at the widow’s peak of his receding hairline and found another bench at a respectful distance from mine but still close enough to reach his daughter if required.
After playing on the swings for a while, they decided to go to the giant slide. My daughter took the first turn. It was sheer joy to watch her thrilled expression and listen to her shriek of delight as she slid down, arms wide. Perhaps she felt like a little bird experiencing her first flight. After a perfect landing on the sand pit at the foot of the slide, she stood up, eager to take another turn.
A loud and sharp shriek pulled me up from the bench and my musings. Maya stood frozen at the top of the slide. Soon, her eyes overflowed, and she was sobbing. My daughter came running to me and clung tight.
Before I could utter a word, Maya’s dad bounded up the steps to the slide. He picked her up and swiftly climbed down. Sitting down on the park bench, he held her tight and whispered soothing words of comfort. Soon, Maya’s sobs reduced to whimpers. Her dad calmly picked up a water bottle and coaxed her to take a sip.
Soon, Maya’s dad picked her up and carried her to the slide. As she was about to sob again, he asked her to place a hand on the slide. Slowly, she touched the slide. Soon, she asked her dad to set her down. He set her down and picked up a pebble. He placed the pebble on the slide.
Maya watched with fascination as the pebble rolled down. He picked up the pebble again. Holding it out, he asked her, “Do you want to try it?”
She eagerly snatched the pebble and placed it on the slide. Watching the pebble roll, she started clapping and jumping.
Her dad sat on his knee. “Shall we try something new? I will place you here and hold you as you slide down. You can shut your eyes tight if you want,” he said, pointing to the slide.
Maya listened to her dad and peeked at my daughter. “Will you laugh?” She asked in a small voice.
“No!” was my daughter’s fervent and immediate response.
Emboldened, Maya turned to her dad and nodded. He picked he up, placed her a meter above the ground and held her throughout. Maya had her eyes shut tight. As she landed on the sand pit, she opened her eyes in excitement. “Yippee! I did it!”
“Yes! And wasn’t it nice? You were so brave. Shall we try again?”
They repeated the slide experiment four times, increasing the height every time. I could see Maya’s confidence grow with each turn.
Again, he sat on his knee and spoke to her, “Why don’t we slide from up there, together? We will climb the steps together, and I will hold you. Would you like that?”
When she said yes, they tried that not once, but three times.
By now, my daughter wanted to help, too. The next time the father-daughter duo reached the sand pit, she spoke, “Maya, you can slide with me. I’ll hold your hand. Promise!”
Maya’s dad was ecstatic. “I’ll climb up with you and stay there if you want. Shall we try this? You are being so brave.”
I could see the wheels turning in Maya’s head. She agreed, and the two girls raced up the steps. From the second they sat at the top of the slide until they reached the sand pit, my daughter was there for Maya.
She beamed with pride and delight when Maya’s father said, “Thank you, Shree. You are a good friend.”
After a few turns together, Maya was ready for her first solo slide. We all clapped and cheered her from the moment she started climbing the steps. Upon reaching the sand pit, Maya first hugged her dad and then my daughter.
The rest of the evening was full of laughter and joy for the two girls. There was a tense moment when some older boys tried to oust them from the swings. When Maya’s dad stood beside the girls, the boys fled.
They made plans to meet the next day.
My daughter woke up at dawn, excited to meet her new friend at the park. When we finally arrived there, Maya hugged her. She pulled my daughter towards the Monkey Bars.
By the end of the week, Maya’s father did not have to approach the swings when the older boys arrived. The girls merely pointed to him, and the boys decided not to bother them.
