now this is an issue..

Few days back I bought a new laptop, not for myself, I already had one, but for my mom and dad. I thought being parent of a software engineer they also should be aware of these gadgets. It came handy, my mom is real smart handling such instruments, she will clean it, she will care for it, she will make sure it doesn’t have any scratches on it, she will protect it as if it is part of her gold collection, but she will not use it. I said it is just the matter of following the instructions but all in vain.

Then last Saturday I asked my brother, who was there at home for weekend, to install Skype in it. I thought, if not them, I can make use of it talking to them face to face. It worked. My mother was real excited when my brother told her that she will be able to see me live on the screen. To my surprise she learnt all the steps to start Skype and initiate a conversation. I was happy, so were my brother and father. We fixed a time to chat. As soon as I came online I got a call. I answered the call and next moment I was able to see my mom on the screen, also my brother standing behind her. Her first reaction was, ‘oh my god, it’s really him’ but in few seconds there was a swing in reaction.

‘You have not taken bath yet, isn’t it?’ she said, I saw my brother giggled.

‘oh no…I mean yes I have taken, its just today was Saturday so I have not shaved may be that is why you will be feeling like that’ I said. Who takes bath so early on a weekend and it was just 1:47; I woke up at 12:32 to be precise.

‘And since when you started believing in Saturday and all?’ she shot next question.

I had no answer for this. I just heard my brother laughing and saying ‘gone case’. He really enjoys, whenever I am thrashed. Being an elder one, it was me who always thrashed him, so for him, it was like revenge. 

‘Ok ok, I will go shave and take a bath just after talking to you’ I said scratching my head.

‘See see, he lied to you’ my brother shouted from behind.

‘You just shut your mouth’ I shouted back to him just to make him laugh again.

‘Oh God, I don’t know when this boy will start doing things better. Who will say that these are my boys’ I guess she said all this to GOD. I saw my brother slowly stood up and walked away. I kept silent.

“What is there in that corner? Is that your socks?

‘Holy hell’ I thought.

‘Show me complete room’ she commanded. I was dead. Pair of socks lying in the corner, three pairs of shoes lying beside the tv, two pairs of floaters, guitar in the middle of the room, two bottles of coke on the ground, one half open book, two mobile and one laptop charger near the switch, a stack of clothes on the hanger, pair of jeans on the bed, bed sheet crumbled and half lying on the ground from the corner of the bed, toothbrush and toothpaste on the pillow, roommate sleeping on the next bed beside my bed. Overall a total mess.

‘He is still sleeping, its 2 and he is still sleeping, oh god, how can you all live in such an untidy way? I want you to get rid of this mess, now’ I heard a great laugh of my brother from the background. I smiled and said, ‘ok ok, we will clean it today’

‘Clean everything, go and shave, take a bath, ask your friend to wake up too’ she said. Call was ended and I took a sigh of relief, sometimes moms can be really strict when it comes to cleaning the room, washing clothes and making everything systematic.

This Saturday, when I logged in to Skype and got a call from home, I turned back to see the room and thought, ‘now this is an issue…’ It made me laugh.