A Crazy Day! Errands, Lunch with Cousins, Bank Chores, Mass

Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Bombay

A Crazy Day! Errands, Lunch with Cousins, Bank Chores, Mass

     Namaste from Bombay!
     The days are flying and with just 15 days more to go before I have to vacate this flat, I am starting to feel the slightest tremor of nerves as I need to pack away an entire (small) household into three suitcases! Yikes!
     I awoke late (at almost 7.00 am) as I had an unusual night. A mosquito woke me up at about 1.00 am and then I could not go back to sleep till 4.30 am--I spent my sleepless hours reading my book (Machines by Me by Ian McEwan) and watching TV! At 4.30 am, when I did eventually get to bed, it was a rather fitful sleep. I hurried through my wash and breakfast (muesli with the last of my apple and coffee) and then I got my bank documents together as I needed to make another visit there. Meanwhile, I blogged and responded to some of my email correspondence.
     It was not long before I had to leave for my lunch appointment. I had invited my cousin Ruby and her daughter Linnet for lunch to Bandra Gymkhana. With them, I also invited a new friend I have made, Jean. The three of them were there already when I arrived at 1.00 pm. We made our way up to the air-conditioned restaurant and settled down with drinks--lemon soda for Ruby and me, a shandy for Linnet and a Bacardi with lime for Jean--and paneer achari (which is deliciously grilled, smoke-flavored and creamy). As for lunch, we chose Penne Chicken Alfredo, Rosemary Roast Chicken and Traditional Baked Vegetables. These came with mashed potato, grilled vegetables and garlic bread as sides--so, by the end of it, we were well and truly stuffed and none of us had any room for dessert--more's the pity. However, it was a great opportunity to get to know Jean a little more and to gab with my cousins who are terrific hosts and have had me over at their place for meals quite a few times this year. I am so blessed that I have all these loving relatives right in my backyard here in Bandra and that it is so easy to get to them. They are also a source of great strength and support to Dad. It is nice to have a big family of siblings on my Dad's side and to have so many wonderful cousins with whom I remained very close through the years.
     When lunch was done, I went directly to my bank--the State Bank of India--as I needed to renew a public provident fund that I have held with them for the past thirty years. I was surprised and disappointed to discover that it had fully matured and that, as an NRI, according to a new government directive issued early this year, I can no long hold a public provident fund account. Oh dear! This meant that I had to close the account, take the check offered by the bank for the amount and then decide how best to reinvest it.
     But therein lay the rub! When I had opened the account, I had done so in my maiden name and it was in this name that the account still stood. Every other account I have with the bank is in my married name. I now have to produce a government marriage certificate to prove that my name was changed upon marriage, so that the check can then be deposited into one of my NRI accounts in my married name! This means, I understand, making a trip to the ward office to find out how I can obtain the marriage certificate from the municipality as the church marriage certificate is not considered valid anymore! I will have to deal with this issue tomorrow!As if I do not have enough to do already!
     Leaving the bank, I walked home and checked my phone to make sure that my friend Kamal had not called. She was in Khar and wondered if we could meet for a cuppa while she was passing through Bandra. However, she told me that she would be with me by 4.00 pm. When I found no call from her, I changed, got ready for a nap and fell asleep thinking I would be out for about 20 minutes. Imagine my shock when she called me at 5.00 (I had been sleeping for 45 minutes!). But how could you blame me after my dreadful night? Anyway, it was too late to meet Kamal at that point as I had told Dad I would be at his place by 5.30 to go over the letter we had been working on for Russel's insurance company. Kamal and I decided to meet on another occasion as today simply would not work.
     I had a quick shower and left for Dad's. There I found him asleep, but as he had left instructions on what sort of changes he wanted carried out. I began working on the letter--I carried my laptop with me. About 20 minutes later, when I was almost done, Dad awoke and found that I had almost finished making the corrections. He was still feeling rather poorly--weakness has now given way to fever and cold and cough. He probably has the beginnings of the flu. He told me that he has been taking Crocin. I am concerned and think that he should see a doctor tomorrow as there is a viral fever raging through Bombay and a flu at his age can be very dangerous.
     I then left for Mass and stopped en route at the shop of Jay, my photocopier, to get the modified letter printed out. After Mass, I stopped again at Dad's, left the letter and the photocopied material with him. I found him feverish while Russel was throwing up! When it rains, it pours. I made sure that Rohit made some chicken noodle soup for Dad and that Russel ate only bananas for dinner. This meant that I had to run to the gate to buy the bananas from the fruit cart. When I was sure that both Dad and Russel were comfortable, I left. I will keep checking on them tomorrow to make sure they are both coping.
     Back home, I served myself the odds and ends from my fridge for dinner--paneer tikka masala, vegetable biryani, grilled vegetables with a slice of mango for dessert. It is almost the end of the mango season and I am sorry to wave the fruit goodbye! I finished watching Spy Game, a really complicated movie with Brad Pitt and Robert Redford set in Beirut during the war, but it did hold my interest throughout.
    When my eyes could stay open no longer (at 11.00 pm), I dropped off to sleep after another crazy day spend running around.
     Until tomorrow...
     .