Today is my parent’s thirty first wedding anniversary. In
the past eight years, I have either been out of town or out of country on their
anniversary day. And it is only in the past eight years that I have developed a
sense for what anniversaries mean.
Unfortunately, I have never been there on
the Day to be able to spend it with them. So I call them.
I called on the landline hoping to get hold of both of them,
“Hi, happy anniversary dad. How does it feel ?”
“Hello, hello, good. It feels ok,” he acknowledged.
I said, “31 years hannn”
“Yeah, thirty years is a long time. We continue to
understand and accommodate one another. She does more accommodating and understanding
than me. It is great,” he continued, “She got you some t-shirts. She is going
to ship them. And she gifted me pants. Good ones.”
I admit, “Thirty years is really a long time. That is great.”
Jogging my memory for the longest
relationship I have been in my adulthood.
I ask, “Is mom there? Can I talk to her?”
He replies, “She is in the other flat. Call her on her cell
phone.”
We recently rented a unit across the hallway to have more
space. Mom was there, helping my grandma out. I ask, “Which cell phone – her work
or personal ? or does she have your cell phone ?”
Yes, between two of them they have four phones – three cell
phones and a landline.
“Try any, they should all be on the desk.”
I dial and after two beeps, mom picks up.
“Thank you,” she says.
“So how was it ? How do you feel?”
She tells me, “Your dad gave me thousand rupees as a present
for anniversary and I got him track-pants.”
And a few things run through my mind, Thirty one years,
pragmatic nature, zero expectations, and content.
I enquire, "How was first anniversary, do you remember ?"
She answers, “Does he ever remember anything? My sister had
to remind him that it was our first anniversary. I was pregnant with you and
celebrated our first anniversary at your grandpa’s, far away from Bombay. Your dad couldn’t
make it to grandpa's.”
She adds on , “Since I was pregnant with you, I only had
ice-cream to celebrate.” And breaks into a laughter.
I thank her and chuckle at her sense of humor.
“Thirty years is a long time. I am too busy with your dad
and grandma. I would have loved to visit you otherwise. How is the weather?”
And she goes on. I don't quite get what she is saying,
until I snapped out of the trance, wipe an indecisive tear off the corner of my
eye and I said what one says when they don’t know what was being said…”Hmmmm….ahannn....Right”
I ask, “Did he (younger brother) call?”
She replies, “Yeah he did just after midnight. He arranged
for a bouquet. We got this nice bouquet in the morning.”
I say, “Wow, he has grown up. Matured.”
“I feel like am a bad son. Maybe I am.” I don’t say.
“I have to go. But please email me what all you need because I
am getting ready to ship you things on Monday. Take some time over the weekend and send me
the list. Bye,” Mom hands up.
Happy Anniversary aai-ba.
Neo
