Today as the world welcomes a brand new year, our family welcomed a new chapter to our lives too.
My brother and his family moved to greener pastures.
So with a start, came a goodbye.
Not forever of course, but it was a brief period when the family stayed together after years, with our little bundle of joy recently added to the mix.
The little tyke was just getting his bearings. From being a bag of cuteness to absorbing knowledge like a sponge, he’s at the most amusing stage of his being. His curiosity boundless.
Everything is awe-inspiring and must be ‘tasted’ or chewed to satiate the agony his teething’s causing him.
The last few days the brother and his family shacked it up with my parents and I at our place. There were suitcases, toys, humans all over the house.
While everyone else was cool, my own compulsion to keep the house clean soon lead to a truce between my tired body and my nephew’s insistence to give me a challenge.
Plus, everything was covered in drool. Puddles were left behind when something was left alone post the saliva mauling.
I’d rather leave certain things alone. Small sacrifices.
While observing and absorbing every bit of the munchkin, it started to sink in that the joy of having him around is going to be rationed.
But that’s another small sacrifice for the long run, the bigger picture. That of my brother grabbing an opportunity for the better.
Also, technology to the rescue. They’re going to be bombarded with a fusillade of FaceTimes and other video chats. Can’t miss on to his formative years, can we?
This morning the atmosphere was somber. Not in a perpetual state, but surges of the emotion were definitely felt. The dark and gloomy rainy weather was the perfect backdrop to the setting.
The nephew of course was unaware of the developments, although he could sense something stirring.
We had our duties divided. While the brother and sister in law were in the final stages of wrapping up, mom and dad were on grandparent duty. I took over the job of feeding the grownups and keeping the areas tidy, only to make room for a more organised mess to be created. That was the idea anyway.
My parents and I decided not to overwhelm the process by not heading to the airport. Plus, the travellers had a first class adventure they wanted to enjoy, which starts the second you arrive at the airport.
Post a hearty breakfast of Indian masala omelettes, toast with Kissan mixed fruit jam, and coffee, it was time for the final stages, mostly to organise the baby’s food and diaper bag for the journey.
A shower, a nap and a feed later, it was time to finally leave for the airport.
I remember watching my maternal grandmother (nani) blessing people for a journey with a tilak (a smearing of red paste on the forehead) some sweets, a token of love and flowers to throw behind. I simply had to recreate this symbolic gesture. Perhaps as an ode to my nani’s traditions. Or perhaps I’m just a little too dramatic. Either ways, the elders bless them.
Once the ritual concluded, we took a bit of a breather, while waiting for a cab.
And then, the moment we had been anxiously dreading. A bittersweet memory in the making.
11 suitcases, a baby stroller, 2 very anxious humans, a happy and oblivious baby, a bit heartbroken set of parents and me; all were put into two elevators, to head to the cab.
With each bag the car was loaded with, a baggage of emotions was unloaded by us.
Our final hugs were surreal. And as a natural transition from being just an aunt to a responsible aunt, I leaned in to my nephew seated in his car seat on the stroller and said, “be good, be happy, be kind, be loving.”
He looked coyly at me with his innocent eyes and fluttering lashes. And all I could ask him for was a kiss, which he readily obliged. Such a sweetheart.
And then they were all in the car, and my parents and I were left behind, waving, momentarily watching our souls driving away.
We are a dramatic bunch.
The ride up the elevator to our home four stories up felt like the longest ride ever.
While the parents headed straight to their room to brood, I went right to sprucing things up. Clearly we deal with sadness differently.
Once done, I went to check on them, and found them snuggled up with each other, comforting one another.
They see me, break apart, inviting me to join the family snuggle in the middle.
Felt poetic, with me, their other spawn, to fill in the void.
Through this all, we reminded ourselves that it’s a small sacrifice. And a change that’s not permanent.
New year, new life.
New challenges, new chances.
The show must go on. And it will.
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