All right guys,before we move further "senti" alert:This post has some waah-waah moments and is not completely random.That clarified,lets get a move on.
Now,dedications.To all the daughters in the world who on the outside are hard headed and independent but on the inside are sissys who still want to be fussed over by their dad.
I recently had to be at Bangalore.I had to travel alone since my parents were caught up with some work here.It was arranged that I stayed with my dad's cousin.I put on my "oh-I-am-so-well-behaved" face helping them out around the house and such.A completely "un-brattish " behavior if you will.I must have overdone it since my aunt called up my mom soon after with a few well chosen words " Chitra,un ponna nanna valathruke.She is so well behaved and quiet.She helps around the house too.I am very pleased to have her here".My mom goofed up by laughing out loud adding an "Yaaru avala?Gayathri patthiya solre?". Aunty was of course surprised.As of me I wasn't but still I was mad at her for giving my game away.
Well why exactly was mom surprised?
Fact 1:I cannot go for more than 2 seconds without speaking.
Fact 2:I speak so fast and so much that asking me to shut up thrice won't do the trick.
Fact 3:I don't lift a finger around the house.
Fact 4:I use the best of tricks to coerce my dad into getting my own way.
Right from when I was little,I have always looked up to my dad and craved his approval.I do get it all the time.I literally swell up with pride every time someone tells me I take after my dad.I do have the guilty pleasure of throwing a lot of tantrums when mom is not around so that dad will let me have my own way.Everytime dad tells me that he is proud of me my feet are lifted a couple of centimeters above the ground in fact.
Dad has always been very patient.He did not care about grades ever.I do remember when I was in primary school when we went for shopping to the biggest supermarket in my area then:Yeses Super market. Me and my sister loved board games.Mom never allowed us to buy them since we already had a lot of games and rarely used them for more than a week.It was an unwritten agreement between us sisters.One had to lure mom away on some pretext and meanwhile the other had to lead dad to those games and get whatever was necessary for both of us.This kept on going until we were caught red handed.Mom was glowering at us until finally dad said " ippo vilayadama eppo vilayada poraa?" which earned few well-chosen swea words from mom and of course a bad dinner.
Whenever I fought with my sister I used to go hide behind dad because he deflected her away.If it were mom she would have slapped me hard first before handing me over to my sister for further slaps.
He loves his work and more than that :cars.The showcase at home is stacked with various miniatures and every navarathri he fights to have a car display with me.Oh wait,I forgot to mention that I am officially incharge of the golu at home.Last year when I put my foot down and refused that random cars here and there do not go with the tone of the golu,he made it a point to make cross roads and told me it was a traffic jam(scroll up for the picture).I had to give in.Every year also sees a display of his cable car zooming up and down which pisses me off to no end.But nothing gives him more pleasure than to work it up and down as all the kids gape with an open-mouth.I remember all those years when he made all my art-projects and I finally ended up scoring full marks when I actually know enough only not to glue my fingers with the fevicol.
He always has chocolates no matter what.I remember going to school with a box full of imported chocolates and all my fighting over who gets how much.The tradition continues till now.My fridge is never devoid of chocolates or Minute Maid. And while we are on food ,he cooks really well and makes sure even after a tiring day at the office,he makes whatever I ask him to.He makes it a point to take us all out for dinner atleast once a week.
He has a wonderful sense of humor.We love the nicknames like (Penang para mundam abb to PPM)he comes up with .Let me give you one example that happened on our Sunday morning drive.
Appa:Car otta kathukardu computer kathukre maari dhan.Evlo nondaromo avlo kathukalam
Me:Epdi solre?Car Innum kashtam pa.Difference iruku.
Appa:Enna di difference? Adula thappu aachu na hang aaydum.Idhula hang pannuvan avlo dhan.
It was not the words but the casual attitude that made me laugh :)
I never did come to the tantrum part did I?I often am a diva and to get my way I do throw a lot of tantrums.And every one of them are directed at dad since I am aware that he is the only one who gives in to my ludicrous demands.It may be something small like something I'd want done or bought to demanding him to say sorry for something he had said by mistake.Being called a wall,hard headed,impassive by my friends all take a back seat as I make it a point to cry at the slight sign of frustration shown by dad.Its just that I have always wanted to not disappoint him.
Anyways why am I reminiscing? Mom and dad have already started talking about me leaving next year and making loads of phone calls to relatives to take care of me and I am not even in the acceptance phase yet.I have never lived alone and I don't know if it'd be good,okay or bad.I haven't even traveled alone until recently.I have never been financially independently.I never thought that the time to say goodbye would come so soon.I always imagined that I'd be ready by that time.I don't think I am yet.
I don't know if I ever will be.
P.S-I gotta run.Dad is making more-appams and the smell is wafting all the way over to my room .Smells like a mini Saravana bhavan heaven.
Until the next one,
Gaya. :)
