Christmas celebrations at a Goan family’s house in Bombay, India
Merry Christmas, everyone!
“Kevin! Don’t eat the Shankarpalis. We have to go to church! After church you eat!”
“But I want! I want!”
“Kevin! Behave yourself! I’ll tell dada to beat you with belt? I’ll tell him?”
“But see, see, Venona is eating guava cheese!”
“Venona! Eat only one, okay poota?”
“Okay.”
“Good poota. Kevin.. take your toys and keep in your room! Put in the basket and keep inside! Don’t bring outside on Christmas! Keep the house clean! Uncle aunty grandpa and all are coming! Now come fast! It is time to go! Put your suit. Venona, tell Daabooja to comb your hair! Fast! Come on! Now I’m dressing up!”
Dorothy enters her bed room and shuts the door. She must wear that red dress and go for mass with her husband Wency, son Kevin and daughter Venona. At mass, they’ll meet her brother Rudy, sister in law Deborah, nephew Ryan and father Randolph. Wency is inside, adjusting his tie.
“Wency, go out man, I want to wear my dress!”
“I want to see you wear your dress!”
“No seeing now! We are going to church! Wency! Please go out!”
“Okay.. but I want to see you undress after we come back!”
“Yes, I’ll show you. Now, we’re running late! Let me change my dress! Go!”
Wency walks into the living room where Kevin and Venona are chipping away at the home made Christmas sweets. Shankarpali, guava cheese, कीडी, jujubes, दोस् and cake! Wency is tempted!
“Baba give me one, poota, good boy! Go you’ll both wear your shoes. Go! Run!”
The family is all dressed up. Mass was nice but the Hindi sermon was way too long. Kevin and Venona were happy to meet their cousin, Ryan. Randolph, all of seventy eight years old is happy to see his family, all at mass. They then head to Wency and Dorothy’s two bedroom hall kitchen apartment for dinner. The men shall pour whiskey:
“Come, come, sit. I’ll bring the glasses. Come.”
“This is some new brand? DSP Black?”
“No! Its always been there!”
“Costley?”
“Some two eighty five a bottle!”
“Costley it is. Best is my Bagpiper. Full kick like. Good trip. Have two or three shots with some water and it is good like.”
“Come, come, cheers!”
*cheers* *cheers* *cheers*
“That priest what he was talking! His was eating his S. He is a nice guy and everything.. but come on what is this? Every time eating his S!”
“Dorothy.. sweetheart.. bring some pork no in a plate..”
“Now there might be war, no? With Pakistan?”
“No peace only in this world! What has become! People should realise that what they are doing is wrong and stop!”
In the mean time Dorothy and Deborah feed the kids:
“How much you paid for pork?”
“150 a kilo!”
“Oh! I paid 190! I don’t know what pork he gave me! From where you bought?”
“From him only, Manuel’s shop.”
“Ah okay, I got from here only. I said who’ll go all the way to Manuel! I said I’ll make pot roast. The kids like that. So I said I’ll make! But sweets and all I bough from Kalina. I said why make!”
“I made sweets. I said this year I’ll make! Poota leave your plates at the sink, I’ll wash. Brush your teeths all of yous! Come on now go to sleep, I’ve made your bed. Morning you’ll play!”
“Come on now we’ll also eat and sleep. Come I’ll serve you’ll?”
“Yes, yes, finished now. One more drink each and then we’ll eat. Come you’ll also have a drink! There is beer in the fridge! Shall I make Shandy?
“Yea pour man!”
The men and women get drunk. After dinner, grandpa sleeps with his grand children. The couples sleep in different rooms and have sex. They wake up at 12:19 p.m. the next day. The men must have done a good job. But the women were already tired doing additional Christmas chores.
oh! boy okay let me try this:
arrary good post man! nicely you write.you should publish in newspaper no! why waste time and no money also you are earning.
chal chal i am going, i the evening you there no?