This happened at at my sister’s place, which is a three story town house, yesterday.

I was comfortably seated on the disgustingly sparkling clean kitchen floor; Zara was at the foot of the stair case, just 3, 4 feet away from me, interested in climbing up the stairs (probably to get to the TV room above).

She had both hands on the railing, head looking ahead of the stairs, she lifted one of her feet, just about to make her ascend.

Me : “Zara, please don’t go up the stairs”
She placed the lifted foot back on to the floor, and looked at me.
3 seconds later, she lifted one of her feet again, eyes looked ahead, about to place it on the step above.
Me : “Zara, mummy said please don’t go up ok?”
She turned to look at me again, placed her foot on the stairs, but her weight was still on the firm foot resting on the kitchen floor.
Me : “Zara, if you go up the stairs, and fall down, mummy will not sayang (comfort) you or kiss kiss you, huh?”
Zara paused and looked at me (trying to challenge me), but started to shift her weight to the foot rested on the step.
Me : *desperate light bulp appeared on top of my head*
*rub eyes* “Uh..uh..uh.. Mummy so sad, Zara doesn’t want to listen to mummy. Uh.. uh..” *pretend to cry*
Sister : *just in case my acting was lousy Zara didn’t know I was crying* “Oh-O, Zara made mummy cry cry”

I was concentrating on my acting crying, and then suddenly could hear the bell on Zara’s anklet tinkling. When I removed my hands from my eyes, she had already (wobbled forward and) reached me, and had her hands hugging around my neck.

Zara : “Pat Pat, Pat Pat”
(Me : *wow, new vocabulary*)
She started patting my back, then leaned her head on my shoulder. Her way of consoling the lying crying mum.
Me : *kiss her cheek* “Thank you. You came back to sayang (console) mummy is it?”
Zara : *still patting me* “Pat Pat, Pat Pat”
Me : “Zara is such a good girl”
Zara : *grinned, looked at me, then leaned her head back on my shoulder*

Aww, you can imagine how I feel the rest of the day, her action was like a cup of hot chocolate with mushmallows on a cold cold day *hands on chin, eyes blinking, lashes flicking*.