I Say Pajama; You Say Pyjama!

Pad had spent many years in a joint household in Satish's family home, and while there so enjoyed familial closeness that when the entire clan decided to move to apartments they chose to live in the same road. Furthermore, rather than risk losing the close contact with her immediate family, Pad and Satish decided to take a small two bedroom apartment which favors togetherness. She encourages that the entire family sleep in the large air conditioned bedroom, as a way of staying close.

It was into this air conditioned bedroom home that six females ages eight to 53 tumbled for the night. Satish disappeared into some house or other in the road, I don't know where.

We lounged around on the big bed, talking and giggling. I learned of Geethi's ranking, which she had just received that day, allowing her entrance into a prestigious engineering school. We talked of the struggles of teenage life -- and compared US teen life to Indian teen life.

Pad pinned jasmine flowers into Rose's hair, filling the room with a wonderful smell, and we decided that Rose would henceforth be called Jasmine.

Eventually our eyes became heavy. Geethi and Sai took places on the floor at the foot of the bed, the others of us on the bed proper. We turned out the light, and slept.

I woke to the sound of sweeping down in the street and the smell of jasmine.