Grandmother's Sweet Life

“Come for dinner, Muskaan,” said my Mom for like the 4th time.

“Mom, can’t you see I am working, I am coming in like five minutes,” I yelled back.

“Muskaan, please come, the food is getting cold!” urged my Mom.

“Fine, arghh, you are so annoying!” I screamed.

I threw my faulty phone onto the couch and stomped to the dinning table. I saw my parents staring me down but I did not want to look or talk with them. My mom signaled something to my dad and then he gets up and puts some Indian food onto my plate. We ate quietly for five minutes, until my dad abruptly breaks the silence by asking a question.

“Muskaan, We have seen a change between your attitude,” he said with a pause “what is going on?”

“Dad, nothing is going on!” I countered immediately.

I saw my parents exchange looks with each other.

“Fine, I am so tired of having such a bad phone, literally all my friends have such a good phone, nothing works on that dumb machine, and everyone has a tv in their room, except for me,” the 9 year old me kept ranting, “I am sick of this, I look so isolated from the group, I can guarantee you that no one likes me because I don’t look cool”

I realized very soon that I said way more then I should have said, because I saw my parents staring me down. That’s when it started pouring really hard outside. All I could hear was the thumping of the rain when it hit the shingles of the house and the ticking of our clock. Everything else was pin drop silence. Even the deep stares from my parents were way far from being loud. The only thing that was on repeat in brain was that my parents and I were not about to have the best conversations. 

“Muskaan, We are going back home next week to visit family, your grandmother will be really excited to see you, are you excited to see her?” said my dad in a monotone.

“Yes, but why are you telling me this, it has nothing to do with me having a new phone and a tv in my room,” I questioned.

“I just said it to break the silence, was kind of awkward you know,” says my dad lushly.

1 week later, I was on a flight to India. 

We arrive to the Sardar Vallabhbai Patel international airport in Gujarat, India. We loaded our luggage into the taxi and went straight to my grandmother’s house. 

“Hello beta, how are you,” softly asked my Grandmother.

“I am good.” I said annoyingly.

I could see that she had quickly glanced at my parents and then back at me. Then she put that welcoming smile back on her very delicate face. I started to scan her one room apartment. It gave me the quaint vibes. It was poorly painted with the color dirty white. Some of the wall peelings came off. I could see the cob webs stringing down from the corners of the wall. The dust glistening from the reflection of the sunlight. Instead of seeing an AC, I saw a window AC and a table fan. My eyes shift to the living room. The couches were very old. The strong red scarlet color that I saw five years ago was now this fading crimson color with two springs sticking out of the side of the couch. The tv was that gray box tv that I would see in old TV shows. My eyes now advance to my grandmother. She was very thin. It looked like she had not eaten for like a month. Her cheekbones were way more prominent than how I would see her on camera. Her wrinkles were very heavy around her eyes. Her body looked worn out. She looked as fragile as glass. But her smile distracted me from all her frailness and from all the old stuff in the house.

“Come in Muskaan, we will have so much fun together, just us two and this house!” said my grandmother.

“Us two? What do you mean, is Mom and Dad not staying?” I ask all three of the adults in the house.

“No ,we are going to your aunt’s house, and will be back to pick you up in two days.” said my dad.

“Excuse me, what?” I shockly replied.

“Yup, Dad’s correct,” said my Mom.

I knew my parents knew this already. And I also knew that they were doing this on purpose. Probably some punishment for yelling at them for not getting me a phone or a tv, because they know I hate spending time with my relatives. I literally do not know what to talk about with them. Especially with my grandmother. These two days were going to be the longest days of my life. I glanced at the house, then at my grandmother, then at my parents, then picked up my luggage and tried to put up a very fake grin.

I watched my parents hug my grandmother and then leave.

I asked my grandmother, “Where would you like me to put my luggage?”

“Just put it in that room there,” she says while pointing to the room that looked way to big for the one house apartment.

As I walk into the room, it was a very beautiful room. All these indian potteries decorating the room. Then I see this collection of crochet animals. I also see these indigenous bracelets on the other side of the bed.

“How does my room look?” she asked.

I jolt, “It looks pretty”

“You know, you should learn how to make these crochets and the bracelets, you will also enjoy it,” says my grandmother but soon realizes that I was not paying attention and did not care.

“Lets have some lunch,” she insisted.

I nod and walked out of the room. I looked at my phone. No network in bold on the top left of the phone screen.

“What is the wifi password?” I asked.

“What wifi password? There is this general wifi password for the whole building which works sometimes because they cut off the electricity. But if you want it, I can go ask the neighbors what it is.” she says with a little grin, like she was happy about this state.

“No it’s okay,” I concernly reply, and put my phone in my back pocket of my jeans.

I walk to the somewhat dining table and put the mats out. Meanwhile, my grandmother looked over the food and poured it in a pot for me to put it onto the table. I then put two plates that were beautifully decorated with these vivid flowers. I put all the silverware that were needed. My grandmother and I sat right across from each other and put the food into our plates. I had this habit of watching tv while eating but my parents did not like that. But it was not like they were here to stop me.

“Can I watch tv?” I asked.

“Sure, if you want,” she grinned.

I walked over to the gray box that was apparently the tv, and took the remote control. I turned on the tv and I see this static screen with the number ‘001’ written on the left top corner of the tv. I change the channel. I see the static screen again. I switch the channels five times until I reach the channel saying ‘001’. I look back and see my grandmother smiling at me. I knew exactly what happened and sat back down.

“If you barely get any wifi, and you do not get any channels, then what do you do all day?” I curiously question.

“I make all the decoration you saw in my room,” my grandmother responds while scanning me up and down.

We eat in silence. I get up and take the plates to the sink. I wanted to look good in front of my relatives so I decided to clean the dishes. When I was done, I realized that my grandmother was not around. 

“Probably went to go use the restroom,” I thought to myself.

I went to the table at put the mats up and cleaned the table. I then realize that my grandmother was doing something in the room. I walk down the hall and entered the room. I saw that my grandmother had pulled out some beads and indigenous thread. She had also place yarn on her bed. She picked up all the stuff and walked to the dining table carefully putting it on the table without dropping anything.

“Come here, Muskaan, let me teach you something.” my grandmother insisted.

I did not want to go but my legs started walking toward the dining table like there was a rope that was attached to me and it started to pull me. I sat down on the table and watched my grandma make the bracelets. I tried copying her and it was turning out so beautiful. Hours had passed until I realized that it was 2 in the morning and we had to sleep. I had so much fun with her and without any technology interfering this leisure time. I realized immediately how we do not revolve around technology, technology revolves around us. After all, the first computer was made by a human. After that trip, I was never greedy for my wants, but instead focused on my needs.