125. Childhood Reminisces – My Cousin Sister😊

For a long time, I was planning to delve on the subject of my childhood reminisces, but every time something else would pop up and this subject would take a backseat.  Today, however, I forced myself to think of this topic and wrote down all the points that I would be using😊.  I don’t know how many blogs the childhood memories would take, but well, here is to a walk down memory lane😊.  I would not be naming anyone as I don’t know how that person would react.  For people who know me and my family, you can easily identify the person(s)😊!!

This blog is on my cousin sister.  She is the eldest in our big family.  As her parents were mostly out of the country, she used to spend a lot of her time at our grandfather’s place.  The occupants of my grandfather’s house being my grandparents, my father’s family and his brother’s family.  During this time, my cousin got closer to my father and she was the default first-born of my father!!

I remember this incident, that happened, when I was studying in a school in Delhi.  I might get a beating/scolding from her for this blog as she is a subscriber to this blog😊!!  My school’s timings were 10am to 4pm.  So, I used to get up only at around 730am or so.  If it was a weekend, then this will stretch to about 830 or 9am too😊.  And if it was winter, the time for getting up would stretch even further😊.

It was winter time and over a weekend, my cousin had come to our house.  She was assigned the duty to wake us up in the morning.  Me and my brother would be sleeping happily and would be rudely awoken by her😊 in the morning.  She will wake me first.  Since I would be very sleepy or acting as if I am asleep, she will literally drag me from the room to the place where we used to brush, that was just outside the bathroom.  Let me draw out a topography of the house where I used to live.

Starting from the left, toilet, bathroom, kitchen, 1^st room, 2^nd room and 3^rd room.  The 2 smaller squares in room nos 1 and 2 are the doors in that room. In room no 1, one door leads out to a small pathway that leads to kitchen and other places and the other door leads to the 2^nd room.  In the 2^nd room, one door leads to the pathway to kitchen and the other door leads to the 3^rd room.  Don’t be under the impression that I had a lavish house😊.  There were 4 people staying in room 3, my parents, my brother and me.  2 people in room 2, my grandfather and grandmother.  4 people in room 1, my father’s brother, his wife and their 2 kids😊!!

I and my brother would be sleeping in the 3^rd room.  My cousin will literally drag me from room no 3, onto room no 2, onto the pathway and drop me near the bathroom.  She will drag me holding one of my hands and I will be dragged the entire way😊!!  During this time, even while feeling or acting-as-if sleepy, I will make sure that I am not hitting the other things in room and in the pathway, with my body😊!! The pathway used to turn near the kitchen.  So, I had to be very careful at that place as the pathway was very narrow at that point and there was also a big stone grinder in that junction😊.   (If it was winter, I was using hot water for brushing.  After brushing, I would keep both my hands inside the mug filled with hot water and stay like that for 5-10 minutes😊😊 (I know I know, beautiful memories😊😊)!!)

After dropping me near the bathroom, she would go into the bathroom to fetch the hot water in a mug from the boiler there.  During this 5-6 seconds-time, I will get up and bolt for the 3^rd room to get more sleep.  This will make her really angry and she will storm into the 3^rd room and again drag me back to the place near the bathroom.  The hot water has already been procured😊.  She will just stand there, blocking my exit to go to the room, till I get the brush and paste/powder and start brushing😊.

Sometimes, I will be acting that I have started brushing😊.  She will then go and bring/drag my brother for brushing.  At this time, I will silently go behind her and stand at the junction of the 1^st and 2^nd room.  If she brings my brother from the 2^nd room door, I will go from the 1^st door room to the 3^rd room and sleep for some more time😊!!  If she comes from the 1^st room door, I will go through the 2^nd room door to 3^rd room and sleep for some more time😊!!  Such ingenuity😊😊!!

Of course, after doing all these, I used to get a solid beating from her😊!! The beating would normally consist of one tight slap in my back😊.  But sleep is sleep😊.  And I was a tad too lazy in my childhood!! (Of course, nothing has changed even after turning 50😊!!)

I used to complain about the beatings to my father.  But he always used to side with my cousin😊!!  He used to say that she can do whatever she wants in this house and I would have to be abide by whatever she says😊!!

My cousin sister and my mother used to work diligently for all the occasions in the family.  I remember 2 occasions as I have photographs only for these 2 functions.  One was during the 80^th birthday of my grandfather.  Both she and my mother are not visible in any of the photos.  Only during the time, they are required for the group photo or some important ritual, they were literally called-out to be a part of the photo.  The next one was my sacred-thread ceremony.  Since my mother had to be there near me for the whole ceremony, she is prominently featuring in most of the photos.  But my cousin is missing in all the photos except for the group photo😊.  

Cheers to a lovely sister!!

Today’s Observation

Major cause of traffic accident is that people put into their cars as much ego as petrol😊