conversation on death

Two days back, we visited kids' doddajji at mysore. (great granny) She is recovering from a heart attack. we had told the kids that she had high fever and since she was weak, had been admitted to the hospital. When the nurse got doddajji out for her stroll on the wheel chair, nidhi burst out crying. She was shocked to see her condition - weak and on a wheel chair and wearing a hospital gown. She asked "appa, doddavarge jwara bandhre ee thara aagthara?" After granny was taken back to the ICU, kids had a conversation with me that was tough and hilarious at the end:

nidhi: appa, why hasn't her husband come to see her?

me: kandha, dodda thatha died 3 years back.

nidhi: why did he die?

me: cos he was 100 years old and weak and he died. everyone has to die when they are old

(he died when was around 80, 100 is the age that kids have in picture when they think of death. so I didn't want to change that image; there isn't much now use in changing either. the sense of time they have now is that they can make out what day after tomorrow is; not beyond that; weeks, months, years are terms they use without understanding much)

nidhi: what happened to him after dying? did he become a star?

me: yes, god takes his life from his body and converts that to a star

(effect of watching mythological movies that they think people become stars after dying)

nidhi: which star is he now? show me?

me: god doesn't tell us which star is who, so we cant make out.

neha: how does god pull out the life from body? he would be wearing a shirt right?

me: god has powers to do that kandha

They seemed satisfied and remained silent for a while. I was feeling relieved. After a couple of minutes, Neha tried to start some other conversation, "appa, when I'm in tenth standard.."

Before she completed her query, Nidhi stopped her

"hey bide, appa aavaga star aagirthaare"