Ma Soeur!

Siblings are necessary evil one needs in life. True Story.

I have friends from all age groups - from the second grader to great grand parents. It helps me with conversation around all realms and get viewpoints from all angles. So, while in conversation with a friend in mid thirties who was justifying a need for having a second child, I pulled myself away from them saying am not the best person to comment - considering that I don't understand the need to have even one child, meh!

Well, so that's when I thought of ma soeur, my lovely sister. I have blogged a few stories about our relation, but today, am just sharing some conversations on how she comes to my rescue when least needed.

Conversation 1 - Me FaceTiming with Amma.

Amma - Aah, I like your dress.What is it? Kurta? I like the full sleeves. very nice. you look good in full sleeves.

(Although I have been out for more than 12 years now, my Amma being the orthodox one, still has hard time seeing me in tank tops and shorts. So although she does not comment on my attire, she definitely shares her delight when she sees me dressed up in traditional wear.)

Me - Nice na. thank you. It is a dress, and now because of work from home, I don't go to office that frequently, I thought I will wear it at home.

Sister comes and peeps into the phone and says "Ask her to stand up and show the full dress." and then walks away.

Me - damn!

Amma - Why what happened? Stand up and show me.

Me stands up, and walks away from the phone to display my naked legs. The dress stood couple of inches above my knees; so was kind of too short for my mom's taste.

And I can see me coming down from the top floor of mom's admiration to basement.

While she, my only soeur, gives out an evil laughter from her room.

Conversation 2 - Me FaceTiming with Amma.

Amma - I like your t-shirt. Blue color suits you. Get something similar for your sister next time.

My sister sitting on the sofa behind Amma yells without looking up."Ask her to show the back"

Me - Damn you!

Amma - Why what happened to the back?

Me staring at my sister wishing for a power like Cyclops from X-men.

Amma - Show me,.

Me stands up, turns around, and displays my backless yoga t-shirt (you know the ones that have open back.)

Amma - wow, that's quite airy.

Me - Amma I wear this only for workouts. This is common.

All the while, the devil sits smiling on the sofa.

Conversation 3 - Me back home, working remotely during vacation

(I follow US eastern timezone, when I work occasionally during vacation in India, so that's generally 6 PM to 3 AM IST)

(somewhere in the night around 10/11 PM IST) Amma stroking my hair - My poor baby now has to sit all night and work. She doesn't get to rest at all when she comes home.

Me - It's not too bad, just 2 more meetings.

Sister - Yeah, and those are not critical, so she can just login and sleep. I don't know why they pay her so much for sleeping in meetings.

Me fuming - they are not fools to pay someone for sleeping in meetings.

Sister - but you say that about others, so I thought applies to you as well.

Me becomes speechless.

Conversation 4 - Me Facetiming with Amma

Amma was sharing some gossip, while my sister notices I am not wearing my sapphire ring.

(In India especially in Hindu religion, people believe in birth stones to have power to bring in good health, luck etc.. my birth stone is Blue Sapphire - Neelam to please the most powerful planet Saturn, hence making it a powerful stone in the family.)

Sister - Where's your ring?

Me - Arey, it rubs real bad during weight lifting, so I have taken it off. Don't tell Amma.

Sister - Amma, look she is not wearing the ring.

Me Facepalm!

Amma - What? Why? How many times I have told you not to take it lightly?

Me - No Amma, I just took it off for workout.

Amma - Why do you have to take it off at all? You just do stuffs to trouble me.

Me again stare at my sister wishing for Cyclops power and say - You happy now?

Sister - Of course. I was the one who had to run around stores to get that ring fixed. Of course am happy now.

Conversation 5 - Me Facetiming with Amma on some Saturday last year

Me pouring beer into a glass tell my sister - feeling like having beer this afternoon.

Amma walks in, asks as usual with lots of love and affection - what are you doing ma? Had breakfast? or is it lunch time already?

Me - No ma, got up late, almost lunch time, have some leftovers from yesterday, will heat that up.

Sister - Yeah and she already is on her first beer.

Me growls like grizzly bear.

Amma yelling - What? Beer? in the morning?

Me - No ma, it's not morning. It's 12:30 in the noon here.

Amma - But still, why did you start drinking at home? Beer is not good for health. I don't understand you kids.

Me - No ma, I had couple of bottles left from the house party yesterday, so just thought of finishing them off on weekend. Am not alcoholic ma, don't worry.

Amma - No alcoholic admits that they are alcoholic. I can't understand you kids.

Me again stares at my sister, deeply wishing for powers to vanish her from the scene; for making my perfectly peaceful Saturday into a melodramatic saga.

Well, you get the idea. I can go on and on. Of course siblings are evil, alright. But hey, what fun is life without them. Siblings - ones that you tend to love and hate equally. So yeah, she is evil, but she is my necessity, ma soeur.

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When Silence Speaks...

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