Can we take away a "take-away" menu?

That was the question that Aditya found an answer to, at Capitola where we were yesterday as we said in the last post.

We were at this coffee shop where Aditya, after a chat in confidence with Aai, decided to use the potty.  After doing that, Baba got some coffee for himself and we walked out.

"Do they have a take away menu on the Internet?" asked Aditya.

(He has developed a new interest in making menus of imaginary restaurants which he owns. He, for example, has a 450+ item menu of an imaginary Great Hot Pizza restaurant which sells everything from wheat flour Pizzas to coconut meal pizzas to thai curries to the south Indian idlis!  One of the side effects of this is he is beginning to look at the menus of real life restaurants.  I once told him about it being available on the Internet for most restaurants, and that most of them also have a copy at the restaurant itself.)

"Yes, and they probably also have it right here.  You can ask them for one if you like", I said.

A: "You ask them".

Me: "I won't."

A: "Why?"

Me: "Because I don't need that.  If you need that, you can ask the lady".

A: "You don't have an option.  You have to ask her."

Me: "I will not because I do not want it.  I want you to try asking for it if you want it".

A: "I am scared that she will say NO"

Me: "And why do you think so?"

A: "I don't know". He had teared up by now.

I then went up to the only person who was at the restaurant and said, "If my son asks you for a take away menu will you say NO to him?"

"He never spoke to me", the woman went on a defensive.

"I know he did not, but maybe he wants to.  Will you say No if he asks you for a take away menu?"  I clarified and asked one more time.

"No", she said with a smile.

"Can I have a take away menu?" now Aditya asked. Apparently the woman had earned his trust.

"Yes," said she and handed a 1 page take away menu to him.

The look on Aditya's face was priceless.  How I felt was priceless too.  (The coffee, by the way, was paid for using master-card.  Just saying :-)

We will continue working on modeling to him through our own actions that "we can ask for something when we want, and be okay if  we do not receive it".