God Bless Us Everyone! It's Christmas in Bombay!

Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Bombay

God Bless Us Everyone! It's Christmas in Bombay!

     Namaste from Bombay!
     It was unusual to wake up in Dad's flat with Chriselle sharing with me the great double bed that my Dad and Mum had used for years. We were both up by 6.30 am while the rest of the home remained silent. Llew, who was with our friends Susan and John and their family in Connecticut enjoying a typical Italian-American Christmas Eve repast, wanted to Face Time with me and our Connecticut friends--but I had to bow out as I did not want to disturb the rest of the Bandra household and I was still pretty sleepy and intended to laze around a little.

South Indian Breakfast on Christmas Morn:
     When everyone awoke, we washed, dressed and decided to have a bit of a special Christmas breakfast: we ordered South Indian delicacies from Shree Sagar South Indian restaurant--sada dosas, masala dosas and idlis that were served with sambhar and chutney. Chriselle was keen to have one South Indian breakfast before she left and this completely fit the bill. The food was delivered to Dad's flat in about half an hour when Russel joined us at the dining table and we all sat down to enjoy breakfast on Christmas morning. It was fun as we talked about the rest of the day. A little later, Roger called from the States and all of us took turns on the phone to wish him and his family members for the holiday.

Christmas Morning Chores:
     After breakfast, I spent about an hour whatsapping friends and family members and sending out and receiving Christmas greetings. We tidied up the living room and got it ready for Dad's guests who  would be arriving for lunch at about 12. 30 pm. I had to nip out to get some fresh flowers for the buffet table from the florist outside Holy Family Hospital.  And although all the food had been ordered and would be delivered, I had to fix a salad. This was easily done as I bought lettuce, beautiful winter red carrots with white centers, yellow peppers, red peppers and cucumbers with limes from the vegetable vendor right outside Dad's gate. I dropped those over and requested his housekeeper to wash them thoroughly.  Then I went off to buy my flowers. As I made my way there, I found that the cobbler, Ramesh, was actually at work. So I asked him how long he would be there and when he said he'd be around till 1.30, I resolved to bring him my little stroller suitcase whose handle had broken on my last trip to Orissa and Calcutta.  
     At the florists', I picked up red carnations and white gladioli to place on the living room table when I got back home. Back in my studio, I put together my knife, potato peeler, lemon reamer and microplane to take to Dad's to make my salad. I also went in for a shower and got dressed and left, once again, for Dad's place. There I arranged the flowers and began work on the salad which I fixed with a lime-honey vinaigrette.

Luncheon Celebrations at Dad's:
     It was not long before the guests began arriving. Jyoti arrived first with a glass vase of white carnations (which I thought would make a good centerpiece on the coffee table). She was followed by Ewell and Nina--old friends of ours (Ewell was once my colleague at Jai Hind College where we had both taught: he taught Accountancy and I taught English), Queenie (Dad and Russel's very close friend) and Michelle, my Fulbrighter friend who had also joined us the previous evening for Midnight Mass and wine and coffee back home. Through the morning, friends had been dropping in to see Russel and to wish him and to drop off goodies such as cake and traditional sweets such as kulkuls, marzipan, milk cream and plum cake. Very few people now make any sweets at home--they are all easily purchased from the large number of Bandra-based companies that make them in bulk and sell them at church fairs, bazaars or in Hill Road shops. People also now deliver sweets in boxes--no one gives trays or platters of sweets as they once used to do. Much has changed over the years and it is always a pleasure to observe the changes in customs and traditions.
     Lunch was a lovely affair with really delicious food. Dad had ordered his standard menu of Mutton Biryani from Merchants (a Bori establishment that is renowned for its biryani), Raita, Lemon-Pepper-Garlic Chicken, Pork Sorpotel, Potato Chops and my Salad. For dessert, we had a traditional English Plum Pudding which Dad had requested one of his friends to bring him from London. I tried to flambe it with cognac but I think it might have lost its alcoholic content and potency as it simply refused to catch flame.  Still, it was a very delicious pudding and we enjoyed it immensely.
     Apart from the usual companionable banter that such parties involve, there was discussion about politics and where the world is headed (Prime Minister Modi and President Trump were very much subjects of debate), community singing as we all belted out carols, the telling of jokes that made us all burst into laughter and the gentle riling of each other. There were pictures taken as Grace was said around the table (I thanked all our guests for coming to celebrate with us, Dad for hosting and the Lord for bringing Chriselle and myself to Bombay to celebrate with Dad as I spared a word and a thought for those members of the family that were not with us including Roger's family and Llew and, above all, I thanked the Lord for his abundant blessings throughout the year). Dad sang one verse of the hymn "He brought us to the banqueting table and His banner over us is Love" and with that the jolly feasting began.
    Our guests were having such a good time that they did not leave till 5.00 pm--this was way later than usual. Queenie had a cup of tea but everyone else was simply too stuffed to eat another morsel. Before they left, I gave each of the ladies a small gift of costume jewelry so that they all took home a little something. Once they trooped out, we all pitched in to clear up although Dad's housekeeper gave us a big hand and hastened things along.

Late Evening Guests Arrive:
     Our lunch guests barely left when my friend Shahnaz walked in with her daughter Azra and her son Hasan. They were delighted to be able to wish Dad, Russel, Chriselle and me in person and Chriselle was really pleased to be able to see Hasan and Azra again as the last time we had all been together had been in Cuzco in Peru just days before their dad Mukaram had passed away. They had a slice of Christmas cake with us.
     Just as they were leaving, my cousin Blossom walked in with her daughter Menaka. More lovely Christmas wishes were exchanged. Russel's spirits had revived by the end of the day and the sadness and despondency he had been feeling at not being able to attend Midnight Mass or participate more fully in the holiday passed away slowly. As we always do, we sat laughing and joking and remembering happier times when we were all so much younger and when my Mum and her sister Anne were still around to give us really memorable Christmases--that said, Dad made a valiant effort to give us an equally unforgettable Christmas and we all really did have a lovely time. Yes, time passes, things change, loved ones leave us to recall the happy times when we were all together and such holidays also make us miss dreadfully those who are not with us (Llew, for instance, who would be spending the holiday in New Jersey with our friends, Ian and Jenny).
     Chriselle and Menaka decided to go out and get a drink and spend some time together. After Blossom, Menaka and Chriselle trooped out (they would not stay for dinner as they too had a lot of food over at their place), Dad Russel and I thought about dinner. All of us wanted to stay really light--so although we had loads of leftovers, we only nibbled. At about 9.30 pm, after a very full day in the bosom of family, I said goodnight and thanks to Dad for another super Christmas and made my way home to my own studio. I spoke to Llew again before I dropped off to sleep. He would shortly be making his way to New Jersey and he told me that he would call about seven hours later (when I am awaking tomorrow) so that I can FaceTime with our friends Ian and Jenny.
     So there you have it: it was a nice, cozy, comfortable, simple Bombay Christmas together with the best ingredients that make it what it is: loving family members and friends clustering together to express their love and affection for each other. As I grow older and as gifts (all material things in general) lose their appeal for me, I am realizing that there is nothing more precious than family and time--as we are all growing older together, we are also conscious of the rationed time at our disposal on this earth and the desire to pass it well in the happy company of those we most love is simply priceless.
     I fell off to sleep soon after what had been a far more relaxed Christmas than I could remember. Indeed as I wrote in my Christmas essay for The Examiner this year--the Catholic weekly to which I contribute a holiday essay each year--this year I really did take a holiday from the holidays!
     Until tomorrow...