The best in man reveals itself in his despair...
History:
Went to bed the previous night at around 3 am having convinced myself that I had done nothing that could, in any way, be described as "useful" ..
THE day:
8.30 am
I hear distinct screaming. Hmmm.. Definitely not my dream.. Exert myself to pull my eyelids open.. I see amma (mom).. "Why (the hell) did you throw all the vegetables into the dustbin?" I blink. Then I reason. If I did throw all of them into the bin, her anger was budgeted for. But did I? I scratch my head, blinking more. I yawned, snuggled deeper into the blanket and said something that sounded like, "gum-na-shi-tu-zum" and went back to sleep. Peace.
Brief History: The previous day conversation with amma
Amma:
(sentence 1)Hey, two of the brinjals have insects in them.
(sentence 2)The vegetables are kept in the fridge.
(sentence 3)Throw them into the dustbin.
Me (in what I hoped was my most dutiful voice) : Yes, ma.
She had connected sentences 1 and 3. I connected 2 and 3. Result : I'm known as Supandi now.
10:30 am
Appa (dad) calls. "You have to leave home at 2.30 (to take a flight). I didn't wake you up because I know you were packing till 3 last night." I get up with a jerk. I blink (again?) at him and then at the clock. Cursing the world for not waking me up earlier, I go brush my teeth.. et.. (er.. all formalities..)..
Me (in a small voice) : Appa, I have some fees to pay.. if you could take a dd... I'll go online and get you the details from a friend.
Appa (no hint of sarcasm honestly) : Aah, what did you do online yesterday till 3 then?"
Me(putting on a very sad, innocent expression) : I was too sleepy. Dont' remember what I did.
11am - 12 noon
Cold refreshing, peaceful shower. (Packing not finished)
12 noon -
I go into the room. I hop across from one place to another. The room is full (read overflowing) of stuff. My packing is done! (yipeeee) must hav stuffed everything I needed into the suitcase last night. Appreciating myself for my responsibility at having finished everything the previous night, I begin to wonder why the suitcase seems so light. ..
...
...
Realisation dawns
There is a whole pile of unwashed clothes that HAVE to be taken to chennai. Oooops! Collected them, tiptoed across to the bathroom, flung them down the washing-machine. Switched it on, hoping my parents won't realise.. Aaagh.. Did it always make this much of noise? (For the record, it never occured to me that I could take the unwashed clothes and wash them in chennai)
1.00 pm
Appa: How do you plan to go to college from airport?
Me: (Blink)
Appa: Fine, I'll arrange. Her's your dd. Packing done? What's that noise? Your clothes in the washing machine?
Me: (gulp) hmm.. yes.
Confirmed Supandi.
By 2, my packing is still not completed. I have been on phone for about 20 minutes now. (Using "I-wont-be-here-for-4-months" as an (intelligent) retort.
2.30
Everything stuffed into 2 bags, ticket taken (id card lost), happily eaten (no compromise on food) I leave.
I guess the jonah day has the worst to come yet.. The evening was even more vague and obscure. But that I would describe some other time. I left home, tagged (forever) as Supandi.
