I spent my Christmas with my client and colleague Susan and her family this year. I am not a Christian. But I love the Christmas tree, the thought of Santa coming down the chimney and leaving presents under the tree, the stockings hanging over the fireplace, the Christmas carols being sung in the churches and of course the beautiful lights all around. This vision is mainly due to movies like Home Alone and shows like Friends. In India, I used to make a small christmas tree out of green marble paper and then used to put some glitter on to decorate it coz we never got a real christmas tree. So when this year I got invited over to spend Christmas with an American family in US, I realized I am going to get a chance to live out my vision. And it was beautiful.
When I reached Susan's place, I was greeted by Scarlett- Susan's dog. This basically meant I ran backwards out of the house until Susan put Scarlett back in her small dog-house and locked it. Susan is tall, probably in her 50s. She is amazingly cool and loves to talk. Susan's sister Kathy and Kathy's husband Shep were also at Susan's place. They came down from Boston to spend their Christmas with her. Kathy shares all of Susan's traits and it was a pleasure meeting her. Shep was equally cool and nice. Next I met Susan's husband, Doug, who again was warm. Susan's kids (Carter and Mason) had gone to Philadelphia with their father (Susan's ex-husnband).
We sat down next to a crackling fire in the fireplace. They sat with a glass of wine and I sat with a glass of coke and we chatted happily, occasionally interrupted by Scarlett's moans. Scarlett loves Shep and so, after a while, Shep and Kathy took her for a walk. Susan and Doug took me on a tour of Oyster Bay (where she lives). Oyster Bay is this small town/village with tall trees, sporadically spread houses, the beautiful Oyster bay from where you can glimpse the NY city and Connecticut on the other side, small local shops of the village, school and a community church. It has a population of just about 5000. It is so peaceful and beautiful and also expensive if you ever want to own a house there. Some day. May be.
We returned back and were joined by Susan's brother Don. Again a nice guy, but talks less as compared to his sisters. Doug brought out some snacks which comprised of crackers, cheese, hamas, carrots and our glass of coke/wine. The conversations varied from the 21 year old cat of Kathy & Shep, 27 horses of Don, Bombay, Conestoga wagon, some of their common friends, how does india react to gays, do indians really live with their parents, places I should visit in the US and so on. I had a great time.
Dinner was lovely. It was Mac and cheese, butternut squash tart, peas with lime, cranberry and orange salad, croissant and ham (for those who ate non-veg. Susan and her sister are veggies like me) and our glass of wine/water. We talked about how Susan met Doug, how Kathy met Shep, Shep's mom who is a sociophobe (she doesn't even want a hole to be drilled in her house for cable TV wires), I came to know the meaning of anglophile and how I may have come to become fond of Harry Potter after Equus :) and so on.
For desert, we had an amazing cheesecake prepared by Kathy from her mom's recipe. It was delicious. We talked about their (Susan, Kathy and Don's) mom who is in a special nursing care. And strange as it may sound, they have had to preplan her funeral (even when she is alive) because of some insurance thing.
It was my time to leave. Susan gave me my presents for Christmas (a book called The Worst inventions of all times and a hand moisturizer and lip gloss). I gave her an iTunes gift card. I hugged Kathy and Susan. Kathy told me I have to stay with her whenever I visit Boston. Doug drove me back home. It was very very kind of Susan to have invited me to spend Christmas at her place and for me, it was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Its hard to be alone in a foreign place during times like these. You see the lights all around and see everyone together with their families and it reminds you how you are not with your family. The lights just focus on the darkness and loneliness you feel inside and so it means so much more when someone asks you to be a part of their good times. Its the beginning of a new year and I, at best, feel nothing. I had a merry Christmas. Hope you have a happy new year.
When I reached Susan's place, I was greeted by Scarlett- Susan's dog. This basically meant I ran backwards out of the house until Susan put Scarlett back in her small dog-house and locked it. Susan is tall, probably in her 50s. She is amazingly cool and loves to talk. Susan's sister Kathy and Kathy's husband Shep were also at Susan's place. They came down from Boston to spend their Christmas with her. Kathy shares all of Susan's traits and it was a pleasure meeting her. Shep was equally cool and nice. Next I met Susan's husband, Doug, who again was warm. Susan's kids (Carter and Mason) had gone to Philadelphia with their father (Susan's ex-husnband).
We sat down next to a crackling fire in the fireplace. They sat with a glass of wine and I sat with a glass of coke and we chatted happily, occasionally interrupted by Scarlett's moans. Scarlett loves Shep and so, after a while, Shep and Kathy took her for a walk. Susan and Doug took me on a tour of Oyster Bay (where she lives). Oyster Bay is this small town/village with tall trees, sporadically spread houses, the beautiful Oyster bay from where you can glimpse the NY city and Connecticut on the other side, small local shops of the village, school and a community church. It has a population of just about 5000. It is so peaceful and beautiful and also expensive if you ever want to own a house there. Some day. May be.
We returned back and were joined by Susan's brother Don. Again a nice guy, but talks less as compared to his sisters. Doug brought out some snacks which comprised of crackers, cheese, hamas, carrots and our glass of coke/wine. The conversations varied from the 21 year old cat of Kathy & Shep, 27 horses of Don, Bombay, Conestoga wagon, some of their common friends, how does india react to gays, do indians really live with their parents, places I should visit in the US and so on. I had a great time.
Dinner was lovely. It was Mac and cheese, butternut squash tart, peas with lime, cranberry and orange salad, croissant and ham (for those who ate non-veg. Susan and her sister are veggies like me) and our glass of wine/water. We talked about how Susan met Doug, how Kathy met Shep, Shep's mom who is a sociophobe (she doesn't even want a hole to be drilled in her house for cable TV wires), I came to know the meaning of anglophile and how I may have come to become fond of Harry Potter after Equus :) and so on.
For desert, we had an amazing cheesecake prepared by Kathy from her mom's recipe. It was delicious. We talked about their (Susan, Kathy and Don's) mom who is in a special nursing care. And strange as it may sound, they have had to preplan her funeral (even when she is alive) because of some insurance thing.
It was my time to leave. Susan gave me my presents for Christmas (a book called The Worst inventions of all times and a hand moisturizer and lip gloss). I gave her an iTunes gift card. I hugged Kathy and Susan. Kathy told me I have to stay with her whenever I visit Boston. Doug drove me back home. It was very very kind of Susan to have invited me to spend Christmas at her place and for me, it was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Its hard to be alone in a foreign place during times like these. You see the lights all around and see everyone together with their families and it reminds you how you are not with your family. The lights just focus on the darkness and loneliness you feel inside and so it means so much more when someone asks you to be a part of their good times. Its the beginning of a new year and I, at best, feel nothing. I had a merry Christmas. Hope you have a happy new year.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMore than the style of writing, I loved the story and the content. To be honest, I am impressed and more than glad that you actually had fun that night and did not sit idly at your place looking down the tube!
ReplyDeleteYou created a very nice memory for yourself and them as well.
I know how lonely it can get. Last night was horrible and I am trying hard to get over it. Bitter truth. And I had to swallow it in huge portions in 2010.
Take care. If I have any luck this year, I might be there to give you some company and loads of trouble, my friend.
Take care!
@Samuh - Thanks as always for reading :)
ReplyDeleteI forgot to take a picture with Susan and her family. So, I decided I need to put down this memory into my Pensieve atleast to remember it always.
Why did you remove off your first comment?
Anyways, if I am lucky enough this year, we may get a chance to fight again over iphone and android in person in US.
Its really good to hear from you, more so because you are having so much fun :) Have a wonderful new year and may you have many such experiences in the future!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anuj :)
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you as well.