India Trip Days 13-16: The Hitch

      "I knew it was too good to be true! One can't have a great vacation, like the one I was having, and expect to have nothing bad happen in between. I should have seen this coming 1.6 kilometers away. (Fun fact: Distance traveled here is measured in kilometers not miles.) I solemnly ever get sick but when I do, it's like having the flu. It feels like you're this close to not making it. Just imagine a pointer finger and thumb moving as close as they can together but not touching. This cold had to strike right when we decided to move from Papachan uncle's house to my mother's sister's residence. So for the next week, we will be staying there to experience my mom's side of the family.
      We just got back from an amazing house boat cruise and a gorgeous evening at the beach. Once we got inside the house, to my dismay, I started to sneeze continuously. I ended up having a 104 degree fever and my whole body felt as if it got hit by an rickshaw. My parents took me to a Hospital where the nurses proceeded to inject medical substances, that brought down my body temperature, straight into my ass. The next day, the temperature started to rise and I immediately began my regimen of antibiotics. I hate taking medications and dealing with their side-effects. Don't even ask if I take them on time.
      However, this cold couldn't have come at a better time. My little health situation forced everybody to calm down and relax a little. I swear, if I was going to go to one more house... I probably wouldn't do anything but please understand my frustration. We visit a total of ten houses per day and each house has us drinking tea and eating desserts within the first five minutes of our visit. Doesn't sound so bad, right? Wrong, before you know it, you're only able to eat a fifth of your delicious dinner and there's no usable bathroom within thirty miles. On top of this, we have to all squeeze into a small car to go from house to house. My stomach and my legs couldn't take it anymore, getting hit by a rickshaw was a safer bet. Today, I actually sat down and watched a little television. I do feel sorry for my mom's sister though. I think Papachan uncle and his family got the best of me while Ammani Aunty and her family got the worst. Sorry, where are my manners? My mom's sister's name is Ammani which means, "A gem of a woman."
      I couldn't do anything all day. If I started to walk outside, I would start coughing as if I'm hacking up a kidney.  My mind wanted to get myself outside and take a look around but my body told my mind to "f&*^ off". My legs felt as if they took a break from the idea of balance for a couple of days. In the middle of all this health hiatus, a childhood friend, one that I haven't seen in eight years, decided to pay us a visit. I haven't felt that awkward in a long time. I just didn't know what to say to him. I have to speak to him in Malayalam and my brain filed for a temporary leave of absence two days ago. The last time I saw him, we were playing cricket outside his cozy little house. I threw the cricket ball into a well behind him and his dad ended up having to send a pail down to scoop it up. I forgot his name but the boy was doing really well for himself. He is studying to be a chartered accountant and had already started the program for it.
      The next day, my aching body was put to the test. This test was sponsored by the Sunday Orthodox Mass. I knew that I was in for some major trouble. I am half Orthodox since my mother comes from an Eastern Orthodox family so I had first person experience with their masses. These masses are known for their beautiful chants that seem to never end and the pain that they cause my legs. Let me explain. We have to remain standing for long periods of time before we are given a couple of minutes to sit. You should have seen me. I was wobbling around trying to find the least painful way to stand and yet there was none. When it was time to sit, I immediately wanted to get up. Lying beneath me wasn't a lush comfortable carpet but a thorny cement like material. There is no escape for me here. By the time service was over, I had nothing else on my mind except the drug...Percocet. Who cares about its side effects?! Finally, my uncle volunteered to take me home while the rest of my family went to do something really boring.
      After that, all I remember is a whole lot of people coming into my room and placing their palms on my forehead. It might sound weird but that's how people gauge the severity of your illness here. If your forehead is warm that means that the fever has not left you yet. Even the doctors do it here. By the time the effects of the antibiotics started to kick in, it was time to leave Ammani Aunty's house to stay at her sister's house. There are too many relatives here. Things were much simpler back in the States."

White Benches and Shallow Lakes: Part 1

       Hey, I'm back from a pretty sweet weekend in Manchester Township, New Jersey. Every summer, the church folk go on an outing for a night or two to strengthen their fellowship with each other. For me, it was the chance for me to get away. It was my last chance to shed life's problems and bask, uninterrupted, under the sun before the beast that is school devours my time.
       As we pulled up, my eyes were set on auto-lock to one thing, the shoreline. Filled with white benches and inviting docks, the beach was just what I needed. I pictured myself lying down on a reclining bench under the shades of a tree either reading a book or watching the treeline till my eyelids get heavy. Right away, I realized that a different type of peace inhabited this place. It wasn't the manipulated peace that I receive when I enter the confines of my room but it was a stubborn kind of peace. You have no choice but to let it surround you when it wants to.
       My life seemed to be slowing down by the minute. No more running, it just turned into a slow pace. I started to observe those around me. I haven't seen my church members in a while, some of those who I grew up with almost seem unfamiliar. My work schedule coincided with church and it used to be a problem for me. Guilt usually weighed on me every Sunday I failed to show up but not anymore. I don't feel the same way about church as I once did, something has faded.
       But there I was, in this place where the winds were unpredictable and the thunder was roaring through the sky. However, there was no sign of rain. There was a sense of secrecy within this place. I didn't know what it was trying to hide from me and what I'll be leaving with.
       To my surprise, I met a good friend who I haven't seen in a long time. So much for a quiet trip. I've known her through the years but it seems as if our relationship hasn't changed much since we were kids. We still interact with each other the same way we did in the fourth grade. Through my Sunday School years, I believed that she was the smartest girl I knew. She wouldn't come some Sundays but I do remember being happy when she did. Now, she can't stop making fun of me. It's amusing actually.
        As we got further into the night, the darker and heavier clouds started to bully the worn out sun behind them. A campfire was lit, the marshmallow bag was ripped open, and the festivities started. I'll let you in on a small tradition that we do when standing around a campfire. The parents tending the campfire will actually cook with its flames. They place plantains and yams within the smoldering wood and set it there until they are warm and soft. All this is totally normal to us and I personally love it.
        The winds were unpredictable that night and there was a slight drizzle. They started to carry the smoke and vapor straight into my eyes causing them to sting and well up. Getting the point, I then walked toward the shoreline where I entered into a conversation of reminiscence and memories. Sometimes, to reignite latent friendships one has poke at memories that reside in the stuffing in your brain, somewhere in there. Pop the right one and you won't stop laughing until morning. A good laugh is all it takes to wake up a sleeping relationship.