Mamar Baadi

All good things come to an end. And bad things too. Best part is - the end is the beginning of something. So here's to a new beginning - yes I know, "new" is redundant, but have to sound optimistic.

Last week we had a week long no-schedule and no-rule living. My brother and sister-in-law were visiting us and I had the "throwback" of the times spent with my mama (uncle) and masis (aunts) in my grandma's house. In Bengali we have the term "mamar baadi" (uncle's house) which signifies carefree life without the chains of adult rules and regulations. I wanted my kids to enjoy the same. This is the closest they can come to "mamar baadi" because when we visit grandma they don't get to see mama. For the longest time Caunteya used to sing "Tai tai tai, mamar baadi jai" song to the boys when they'd wake up at night (a million times) when younger.

Manav and Arnav had a blast, the uninhibited happiness and laughter bearing testimony to this. They had the 24*7 attention of two loving adults for an entire week. That's a luxury. Though the adults were fazed at times, the whole thing worked. We slept, ate, swum, played and did seemingly weird stuff at odd hours.

Every morning the boys would wake up and ask the same question

"Are they gone? Is Bablu mama and Wendy maami still there?"

and you could actually see the softening of features on their face signifying relief when they would get a sleepy "they are there" from me.

Wendy maami was for cuddling and reading books and talking sense non-stop while Bablu mama was for irritating, pulling leg, lifting up and doing "aeroplane" motions and talking non-sense non-stop. She was the "best girl ever" as testified by Arnav and he was the "I love Bablu mama" as gushed over by Manav.

Bablu mama was Arnav's official "protector" as Manav was still manipulating Arnav with the Disney Pixar cars.  As a "protector" Bablu mama would make sure that Arnav got to play with his cars and not just have a glimpse of them when deemed ok by Manav. This was the reason that they would run into multiple brawls.

"Bablu mama you protect Wendy maami. I will protect Arnav. He is my brother" Manav said angrily in the midst of such a brawl.

"Well a protector protects, he doesn't take things away" my brother said

"I will protect his cars. Arnav, I will protect your cars while you sleep. How about that?"

"You don't need to protect the cars when he is sleeping. He can hold them fine" Bablu continued.

and the angry fight continued as well.....

They are completely wrapped up the in the Cars characters. I even saw Arnav putting imaginary contact lenses on the "eyes" of the cars from his lens box ( my discarded case) so that they see better. Manav is still building ill-sounding stories around the cars which he wants and preventing Arnav from playing with them. The collection has since expanded. Will need to take a picture soon.

I made sure that the kids saw off their uncle Dabe and aunt Wendy at the airport so that they don't ask the same question next morning. Arnav said

"Bablu mama cannot leave. He will stay here"

"He has to go. He has a house to take care of there in Wisconsin"

"Then Mommy can go to take care of house. He will stay with us" Arnav said. I am not sure whether to laugh or cry at this comment.

The nice week long "vacation" came to at end with my good friend moving back to India. This provoked some "discussions" in the car

"When will Sharoon aunty be back?" Manav asked

"She will not come back. She will live in India" I said

"Why will she live in India?" Manav insisted

"She has her family there, mommy papa everyone. She wants to be with all of them"

"Why is Mommy Papa there in India? Why can't everyone live in Texas?"

"We are all from India. We were born there and came here for work. So our Mommy-Papa live there"

"Why was I born here?" and the questioning continued and I see this discussion happening several times in coming years. Even I don't have the answers.

Once when I asked Manav if he would like to go and live in India, he said

"Will you and Papa come?"

"Yes"

"Ok. I will go wherever you and Papa go" as simple as that. It reminded of that dreamy day feeling I had had almost 11 years ago when I was getting married. I distinctly remember feeling elated at the prospect of living with Caunteya forever and following him wherever he goes.

In pictures.....

Family - Thinning hair, popping tummies and growing boys.

Arnav had had a fall and hurt his foot. As the usual remedy I offered to kiss the "boo-boo" away. He said

"No, it is not going to work. I need ice". So here he is with the self remedy ice-pack. 

The boys climbing in Gaylord Texan. Right after this shot Arnav fell down scraping his tummy on the rocks.

Brothers not very happy at being asked to pose as the real excitement lay in the fish swimming in the background.

Arnav told me today " I am a good boy. I always eat"

"Ok time to leave now", translates to "Let's jump in the water clutching our cars"

Yes, "time to leave", to carry on with the mundane but not to lose sight of the heady feeling that will come with "jumping in the water".