*Anagram Boy*

*Anagram Boy* The little boy looked at me with a haunted expression and said, *"I see anagrams".* My face turned pale. "You mean, like word jumbles?" I asked. "Yes", he said. He pointed to a sign and asked me what I saw. *STOP* I said. He said, I see *POTS*, sometimes, *POST* or *OPTS* or *TOPS*. God, I said, did you tell anyone? Nobody will believe me, he said. I saw you solving a crossword, and thought you would understand. Read that, I said, pointing at *MEDICAL STORES*. *DECIMAL TOSSER*, he said. And that, I said, pointing to a *DICTIONARY*. *INDICATORY*, he said. I gasped. He pointed to a garbage man and said bag manager. He saw a poster of *Britney Spears* and said *Presbyterians*. Stop, I said. This is freaking me out. *The detectives* *detect thieves*, he said. I know, I said. And then I got it. Damn! *Sycophant* *acts phony*, he said. Stop, I begged. Can you help me, he asked. Meanwhile it started pouring. *Heavy rain*, I said. *Hire a navy*, he said, absent mindedly. What's your name, young man, I asked, a trifle peevishly. Salman, he said. *Salman Grover*. I had a flash of inspiration. Does your father's name start with *A*, I asked. Yes, he said, excited for the first time. I scribbled *Salman A Grover* on a paper and showed it to him. *Anagram Solver*, he said, instantly. And his face brightened. Change your spelling, I said. And you will stop seeing anagrams. Thank you, he said, flushed with excitement. Thank you, Mr.... ? Raman, I said. *A.G. Raman*. That is an *anagram* too sir, he said.