Q for Q

Dear World,

You owe me so much, I don't even know where to begin. 

Every time 2 year olds recite alphabets, I wait with bated breathe. 

"Please don't miss me. Please don't forget me."

But there, in a cute, childish voice, they sing along:

M  - N  - O - P - R - S - T

Mom tries to say from behind, "You missed Q." But it's drowned in all the noise of the Awwws.

"Awww, she's so cute. R after P. Haha."

I sniff and hide behind the slant leg of R. What am I to do? It is not the child's fault. It's you people.

Do you people ever go beyond A for Apple, B for Ball and C for Cat? I am sure evolution has ensured that thanks to repetitive rote learning of these three alphabets, kids today are born with the knowledge of A for Apple, B for Ball and C for Cat. 

How about being realistic to your kids and starting with Q for Queue - that wondrous long line of people in which you will have to invariably stand in, when you grow up?

It's not like you made writing me any easier. 

"Make an O. Then pull a tail from it."

Arrrrey? How embarrassing a description is that? Can I tell my kids to draw human beings as "Draw a monkey, now make the lips smaller, arms shorter and remove the tail."? Would you feel nice?

You are scared when I come into your scrabble set. You desperately start looking for a U to go with me. I am quite important to the existence of your language. And I will not tolerate this nonsense attitude you have towards me.

From today, you can stand in long ueues, uietly waiting for your turns, uarelling with the person who skipped the ueue. I, for one, will not give a Q.

You can go achieve greatness at uantum physics. But it won't be the same without the uirk of the uick Q. 

You can ask your uestions, but noone will get your ueries uickly because you missed the Qs. You cannot even enjoy your uiet. When you finally lose it and go to a uack, even he will look at you uestionably, because hey, you didn't have any Qs.

Then you will remember me. 

Till then,

Cheers.

Q