Go America!

I was told to buy hair ribbons, ('unconventional colours' was the specification) a metre each. There are no people of the ribbon tie-able age at home. The atmoshphere was tense and everybody seemed to be doing something important in a hurry. My brother was leaving for the US that evening. I decided it was best not to ask. With my oh so dependable aesthetic sense I picked up the necessary stuff and returned, still anxious to know what it was for.

I entered the house and saw one of the 2 gargantuan suitcases laid in the hall. When you open it, you won't get 2 halves on either side of the axis. The partition line in the horizontal plane is not exactly in the middle, it is way above. It is more like a rectangular case with an attached lid and few zips on the top. The ribbons were cut and bows were tied in all possible places on it. Zips, handle, locks, etc. It is easier to recognise and pick up your luggage from the conveyer belt this way it seems. "What if they put it upside down on the belt?" I managed to ask in between my uncontrollable giggles. Silence for a while. That was a valid possibility. All the toil would go futile then. Somebody came up with the idea of tying on the supports for the wheels aslo. So they were also decorated. The once sophisticated looking black American Tourister had colourful pretty bows all over. It looked ludicrous. Similar fate awaited the next bag too.

Interesting things in the hand luggage also. Pani puris minus the stuffing and water were being sent for the folks abroad. They are visiting us in sometime this year and there has been a new addition in the family. Variety of nappy pads being sent to see if Indian brands would be tolerable or they had to carry them from there. This atleast was somewhat a genuine necessity as compared to the card board shoe case filled with pani puris. Still the whole scenario provoked amusement.

He wasn't even spared from instructions like what to eat, what not to drink on the plane, when it's apt to use to use the loo, etc. Timely jokes from the youngsters popped in. The popular one being 'avoiding the 3Bs'. Some aunt would give a stern look and the inhibition of not having to laugh makes the joke ten fold funnier. How i love those situations..

He looked like a war hero with the tilak and all. We took turns to get pictures shot with him.
No matter how unsentimental a person you are, the airport ambience makes you have that feeling of leaving someone behind, a non descript fear. I have this habit of thinking about the good times at occasions like these. One hug was enough for me to turn to another direction and pretend to clear something that had fallen into my eye. It was sad in a nice way.

Utmost care about the minute details. Nevertheless chaos followed after he went inside. The bows were too heavy. The bags had crossed the weight limit. The gang went bonkers outside. Fully animated talks over the phone. Like Calvin says, "Some days the lucky rocket ship underpants also don't work."

Somehow the problem was resolved and he successfully checked in. He turned towards the tinted glass and waved a final goodbye. Sighs of relief, sense of accomplishment, bouts of excitement outside. We all cheered in unison and waved back vigourously knowing fully that he couldn't see or hear us.

We were around 30 of us. We sat at a nearby coffee shop to destress. Photo sessions continued. It was no less than a picnic. Small joys of being middle class I thought.