Perfect Women
So now that yesterday passed off smooth, we can all heave a sigh of relief. Anyways, when a natural disaster strikes, there is almost no warning given. Life is dealing the cards and we just have to play the game. The game rules are changing too.
I met a few school moms whom I have never met before for lunch and have come back upset. No, the lunch was very good and so were all the women. This time the upset is very personal and menial if I may say so. All those mothers were young and beautiful. They were so well groomed and appropriately dressed for a pot luck lunch. All said the right words. In fact, all got the right dishes and made by them. Even the serving plates in which the dish came to the hostess's house was appropriate. Nothing over the top, just right. The food was tasty and healthy. The mothers knew what they wanted from the school. Their children went to the best tuition teacher in their area and the best dance teacher. The dance teacher was not Shiamak Davar a big name but a young unheard of kid, who tried harder and did a better job with kids. All the boys' moms mentioned that their kid was into some kind of sport. I don't write 'sports' anymore in case I am in London during the Olympics and make a faux pax. The Queen's English is what I consider correct English and not the American one. In Mumbai, the spoken English is all wrong. Mumbaites say 'Classes' instead of a 'class' which the child attends.They say 'tuitions' whereas the correct word is tuition even if your child goes for multiple subjects.
So my lunch was perfect. The conversation was not about the latest fashion or film stars. Yes, a couple of them mentioned maids. All were planning to go on exotic holidays to even more exotic cities. These were well traveled seasoned mothers, who didn't get excited about a foreign trip. Their children sounded perfect and so did their lives. After lunch all made the appropriate noises and left with a promise of meeting soon post vacations. They all had good cooks and they cooked only on Sundays a special dish or something. I always had this desire to see how these mothers lived and I was seeing it firsthand now. The conversation did not even veer towards bitching or sarcasm about school or teachers or each other. I have seen some moms at the Annual Day and wondered if they have just come from a visit to the beauty parlor. But these women were immaculately turned out even for the lunch.
During the lunch, I got a call from my maid's husband saying she is advised bed rest by the Doctor and wont be reporting to work hence forth. All visions of a messy house, un-ironed nightdresses and under clothes, bed sheets which need to be straightened on tightened on the mattress,stocked refrigerator etc. floated before me. Here such a small incident shook up my existence and in the grand enviroment of the hostess' house all were sipping Nimbu paani.No colas please. There was no reverse snobbery or anything. It was just another perfect day in their near perfect existence.
I met a few school moms whom I have never met before for lunch and have come back upset. No, the lunch was very good and so were all the women. This time the upset is very personal and menial if I may say so. All those mothers were young and beautiful. They were so well groomed and appropriately dressed for a pot luck lunch. All said the right words. In fact, all got the right dishes and made by them. Even the serving plates in which the dish came to the hostess's house was appropriate. Nothing over the top, just right. The food was tasty and healthy. The mothers knew what they wanted from the school. Their children went to the best tuition teacher in their area and the best dance teacher. The dance teacher was not Shiamak Davar a big name but a young unheard of kid, who tried harder and did a better job with kids. All the boys' moms mentioned that their kid was into some kind of sport. I don't write 'sports' anymore in case I am in London during the Olympics and make a faux pax. The Queen's English is what I consider correct English and not the American one. In Mumbai, the spoken English is all wrong. Mumbaites say 'Classes' instead of a 'class' which the child attends.They say 'tuitions' whereas the correct word is tuition even if your child goes for multiple subjects.
So my lunch was perfect. The conversation was not about the latest fashion or film stars. Yes, a couple of them mentioned maids. All were planning to go on exotic holidays to even more exotic cities. These were well traveled seasoned mothers, who didn't get excited about a foreign trip. Their children sounded perfect and so did their lives. After lunch all made the appropriate noises and left with a promise of meeting soon post vacations. They all had good cooks and they cooked only on Sundays a special dish or something. I always had this desire to see how these mothers lived and I was seeing it firsthand now. The conversation did not even veer towards bitching or sarcasm about school or teachers or each other. I have seen some moms at the Annual Day and wondered if they have just come from a visit to the beauty parlor. But these women were immaculately turned out even for the lunch.
During the lunch, I got a call from my maid's husband saying she is advised bed rest by the Doctor and wont be reporting to work hence forth. All visions of a messy house, un-ironed nightdresses and under clothes, bed sheets which need to be straightened on tightened on the mattress,stocked refrigerator etc. floated before me. Here such a small incident shook up my existence and in the grand enviroment of the hostess' house all were sipping Nimbu paani.No colas please. There was no reverse snobbery or anything. It was just another perfect day in their near perfect existence.
Good read Parul. Jaya
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