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Late summer 2007

It’s one of those humdrum late summers, early fall afternoons when nothing of significance is happening. On such days we switch to the channel that shows old comedy shows — we all like Everybody Loves Raymond. I especially like Raymond’s mom and how she always drives everyone nuts in her subtle way. I’m laughing out loud to accompany the canned soundtrack. It has been more than a month since Dad asked Lakshmi about her contact with Aakash and why she didn’t inform him about it.

Mom is sitting in the Queen Anne chair in the family room, by the window in a corner, knitting the blanket she is trying to finish. Mom is always knitting a sweater, a blanket, or socks for someone or another. I am making this blanket for Soman’s granddaughter, Mom had said. Uncle Soman’s first granddaughter, Maya, is five years old. Maya has just started attending kindergarten.

Dad is reading the Op-Ed page from the Washington Post. He’s not watching TV with us, perhaps because it’s not an Indian movie starring Amitabh Bachchan, the legendary hero of Bollywood movies.

“He’s coming to visit us,’” Lakshmi announces from the gallery looking down at us.

I can guess who the “he” is. I am just surprised that it is happening so soon.

Dad looks up. Lakshmi’s news startles him.

“Who’s coming?” Dad says, folding the paper and looking up at her as if he can’t guess.

I turn down the volume on the TV. I have no idea what’s coming next.

“Akaash,” Lakshmi announces. She has come down the stairs and is standing in front of the TV.

“When?” Dad gets up from the sofa and faces her.

Mom continues to knit but looks up. I want to ask Lakshmi to move because she is blocking my view. But I realize something more important is about to happen.

“He didn’t say.”

Lakshmi moves away and sits across from Mom on the square ottoman.

“What do you mean ‘he didn’t say’?’” Dad can’t wait to know more. He gets up and walks closer to Lakshmi.

“Well, he has to see when he can get time off from his internship duties. It’s not in his hands, you know.” Lakshmi has softened her voice as if she is concerned. “He’s trying to see if he can get a whole weekend off.” She adds.

“You mean, he’s going to stay with us?” I interject.

“Where else would he stay? On the street like a hobo?”

I realize I shouldn’t have said that. She looks at me as if I’m a dummy.

“Well, we can fix the air mattress bed in the basement,” I add.

Lakshmi looks at Mom with a questionable stare. Dad is just listening to us, still standing.

“He’s going to be our guest. He’s coming here for the first time.” Mom says in earnest and continues, “Besides, I can’t predict what will happen in the future, but we, all of us, have to make a good impression on him. It’s a delicate situation. He could be your brother-in-law if all goes well.” Mom’s looking at me as she continues to knit.

I don’t want to upset anyone. “Okay,” I say softly. “I’ll go down, and Akaash can have my room.”

“How’s he coming?” Dad has finally found something to say. “He can take a bus to DC, and I can pick him up.”

“He has a car, Dad,” Lakshmi clarifies in an assertive tone.

“Yes. I remember Mayur telling us he owns an Audi,” Mom recollects.

“Yes, I remember.” Dad agrees. He’s squeezing his cheeks with his right hand. He does this when he has to make a decision. “I can get a Trip-tick from AAA and mail it to him.”

“Dad!” Lakshmi has raised her voice, sounding irritated. “Don’t you know everyone has a smartphone nowadays? They have something called G-P-S.” She elongates each letter.

Mom gets up, walks to Lakshmi, and whispers something in her ear. She probably tells Lakshmi that Dad’s still using one of those flip phones and not a smartphone. “Why do I need that expensive gizmo,” he has said many times to Uncle Raj, to which Uncle Raj had replied, “Wait till you have grandkids.” 

“Well, okay,” Dad says, resigned to his lack of knowledge about the latest phones. It’s strange to think that an engineer would not be the first one to acquire the latest gadget. But Dad is frugal in these matters. Without admitting anything, he adds, “Don’t you think I don’t know that? I was trying to be helpful. Just make sure he has our address.”

“You know,” Mom says, turning to Lakshmi. “It would be nice if he could take time off during the Labor Day weekend. We’ll have a grand time, all of us.”

“I’ll ask him,” Lakshmi says and starts walking toward the stairs. She’s looking at her iPhone and punching something.

Dad looks at her, shakes his head, and then walks to the study adjacent to the family room and starts looking up something on the computer. Mom continues her knitting, and I turn my attention to the Raymond show.

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