A lazy afternoon about ten years back, I was relaxing having finished all my work. I was expecting my junior Martian home any minute. The school year-ending exams were going on. That particular day he had a test in science. Soon he bounds into the room I was in as is his habit on his return from school.

"How was your exam?" I inquire on seeing him, the stock question most Moms ask of their children returning after giving an exam.

"It went well" his reply

"That's nice!" I smile.

"I am hungry!!" he says. So what's new?? I think to myself as I get up to give him his lunch.

Out of the blue he asks me,

"Amma, what is 'genitals'??"

Hmm.... That's an easy one to answer. What brought on the question out of the blue, I wonder.

Before I can answer him, he quips,

"Its there in my science question paper…"

In the science question paper?? Now I am nonplussed. I knew that they did not have anything about genitals as yet in their syllabus. So how could it make its appearance in the question paper??

"How many genitals are there..." he reads out from the question paper.

What?? What was that again?? Did he just read how many 'genitals'??

Now I am amazed and curious. I snatch the question paper from him to read for myself.

"I did not know the answer to that question, so I left it unanswered." he tells me gloomily.

I quickly glance at the paper.

There it is,

"How many genitals are there in a metric tonne??" Oh really??

I am actually amused and stunned and also annoyed. How skillfully the word 'genitals' has been used to replace 'quintals'!! Was this a printing mistake or a deliberate practical joke by the people where the printing of the question paper had been done?? Be it either, what were the teachers or the authorities of the school doing passing on question papers with mistakes to children?? And finally, why had no teacher come forward to correct the mistake at least on the day the children were giving the exam?? Negligence and carelessness are not qualities that should go with teaching or even a school as a whole. This was sheer laxity on their part.

When my husband comes home, I present the facts to him. He rules out publicity of any sort. He takes the question paper away from me saying that he would see to it. Actually I haven't seen the question paper since. I think he was obviously worried to let me lay my hands on it!! I did tell him I wanted the paper back as I had plans of writing to the Readers Digest column. But no luck, I never got to see the paper again!! He did visit the school and meet the Principal. As to what exactly transpired I don't know. But knowing my husband the way I do, it must have been the gentlest of raps possible on the knuckles for the Principal or teacher concerned.