Pages

30 Nov 2012

Of Mother, And Other Women


I’m not great at keeping in touch. This is not a new thing, or a trait I picked up in my later years, but my parents are convinced that said character flaw reared its ugly head around the time I made  friends with Fatboy. This is patently untrue. Fatboy and I just happened to become friends roughly around the same time as when I ran out of things to talk about with my family. I let him take the fall for it, of course, in the same way we’ve both pointed fingers at each other every time one of us was caught in possession of pot or porn or –on one deplorable occasion- a Pussycat Dolls CD. He still refutes the Pussycat pop allegation. I will plead innocent till death on that count.

Having established my indifference to the occasional phone call or email, I’d like to tell you a little story of how the best intentions sometimes blow up in your face. And spit on your grave while doing the Gangnam Style. I was in Kodaikanal over the Diwali holidays, and slightly more in sync with the Oneness of the universe and the sentience of the collective human experience and all that other hippie bullshit you buy into when you’re on a diet of magic mushrooms and Kingfishers. Having risen earlier than the sun on one of those days, I decided to give the Ol’ Maternal a call. You know, just because. 

“Hi Ma,” I say, “how are you?”
“Older,” she says, “roughly about a year older as of yesterday.”
Fuck. 20 seconds. That’s how long it takes to realize why social telephony is not a good idea, especially if you’re not the type to remember birthdays and anniversaries and names of the fast expanding brood of the Jimani clan.
“Happy birthday Ma,” I say.
 “I didn’t forget,” I assure her stony silence.
“Everybody called but you, you know,” she says, “even Fatboy.”
SonofaBITCH.   
“Yeah but talk is cheap, right Ma?”, I say, “you’ll never guess what I got you.”

Now tendency to one-up each other notwithstanding, Fatboy will always be my go-to man in times of trouble- and me, his- no matter what. So it was that a half hour of recriminatory stop-start conversation later, I found myself calling The Obese One himself for counsel.  
“That was low man, calling my Mom,” I say, “I’m impressed.”
“I thought you might appreciate it,” he says, “even set up an iReminder and all.”
“Fuck you Fatass, you fucking Apple fanboy fuck,” I say, “sorry.”
“Pleasure. How’d it go?”
“Not too bad, I  guess. I’m royally screwed,” I say.
“What’s up? Jesus, you’ve got to add Sam on Facebook. Girl’s all grown up.”
“Skinny Sam? Really? Fuck Sam, Fatass. Fuck you, you fucking Facebooking fuck. Hear me out, I’m fucked.”
“Do tell.”

“So Mom was all pissed I forgot her birthday, right? Stop laughing, you bastard. So anyway, I ended up telling her I’ve written this kick-ass thank you note and dedicated my novel to her.”
“’Snot so bad.”
“What? Dude, you don’t understand. This is my one and possibly only novel. It’s all I’ve got.”
“So?”
“So I also told my ex I’d dedicate it to her.”
“Well, it is pretty much about her. I don’t see a moral dilemma. Do the right thing.”
“But my Mom’s not sounded this happy in years, man.”
“Wait a second. This is not about your Mom. You’re not that nice. What’s going on?”
“I may have…also given my girlfriend the impression the book’s dedicated to her.”
“Seriously, what is with you and dedicating everything to everybody? You’ve only been seeing her a couple of months.”
“I was weak, ok? It was the only way she’d let me… enter through the gift shop.”
“Ohh.”
“Yeaahh.”
“Sorry ex-girlfriend, whose life you plagiarized. Sorry Mothership, with the womb and all.”
“It’s the right thing to do, right?”
“Your Dad would be so proud.”

Icy Highs's Music Recco: Just Because - Jane's Addiction  



23 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's wonderful that you are getting thoughts from this piece of writing as well as from our argument made at this time.
my site: my computer is slow

red dirt girl said...

Damn. I thought you were dedicating the first novel to me ..... nothing left now for me to do other than slit my wrists; wait in line for the second novel; or sew up a lumpy icy doll and get out my antique hat pin collection....

xxx

Anonymous said...

Hurrah, that's what I was seeking for, what a data! present here at this weblog, thanks admin of this site.
Here is my webpage - Work from home jobs

Revacious said...

Hahaha.. Quite epic, that.
Staying in touch is sooo overrated, I think. If they really matter, you should be able to call them after years and still talk like there never was a break.
Family, of course, isn't covered by this. Who forgets their mom's bday??
Not me. Thanks for giving me something to be proud of. :P

Anonymous said...

Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out.
Please let me know where you got your theme. Appreciate it
My blog post : erinmore tobacco

Unknown said...

Red, if you sew up a lumpy icy doll, I'll get your name tattooed on my forehead :)

Rev, that's the thing. Forgetting Mom's birthday is just not ok. I think I can live down just about anything else.

Azia said...

as always, your posts are always a treat!

Workingdan said...

Oh man! Not good! To first forget your mother's birthday then to dedicate your book to her after you promised to dedicate it to someone else! You might be fucked!

Unknown said...

Cheers, Azia. As are yours. :)

Hey Gluttondan, I'm digging the new look! And yup, 'Fucked' is my middle name.

Anonymous said...

I'm excited to discover this site. I need to to thank you for ones time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it and I have you saved as a favorite to look at new things on your blog.
my web page - erinmore

Blue Grumpster said...

If I were to call my Mum The Ol' Maternal, she'd slap me in the face until it turned blue an demand an apology for hurting her hand. But seriously, a Pussycat Dolls CD?

goatman said...

Why does everyone allegedly write like David Forster Wallace? And who the hell is David Forster Wallace anyways? Screw him . . .
You write like Poe Ballantine, in my humbled opinion.
Happy Christmas anyhow.

red dirt girl said...

Yeah - what goatman said!

And a happy after Christmas to you. Not sure if you actually 'do' christmas, but it's the season to remember good friends.

I'm remembering you :)

xxx

Unknown said...

I agree with the Goat, I think a sort of blogger-angst type language always ends up being termed Wallace-like by whatever stupid software runs this shit. Still fun to play, though.
Merry Christmas, RED! And yes, I 'do' Christmas, it's my favourite time of the year. Hope you had a good one too.

adhi das said...

well written...GOD<3U

austere said...

mail id pls, Icy.

red dirt girl said...

Happy New Year, Icy!

xxx

Unknown said...

Hey Austere- tharun.jimani@gmail.com

Red, Happy New Year to you too, have a terrific year!

sm said...

nice song

Arooj said...

blog full of gravity

Unknown said...

Yeah, it's a great tune,SM.

Hi Arooj, I've never been accused of gravity before. Thank you. :)

Zeba said...

Excellent stuff. I am impressed. :-)

Unknown said...

Cheers Zeba.