Wishes

Two large,empty plastic cans of water, the ones we call “ bubble top cans” in India for they look puffy and have bubbled up bodies, sit in a humble corner of our kitchen. It has an electric pump on it. The electric pump we were so proud to find on Lazada and show off to our parents on our Whatsapp video call to let them know we don’t have to lift the water loaded cans and tilt them like we do in India, to fit them on to water dispensers with plastic taps.
Our excitement burst like those balloons we try to fill with our mouths and over fill to only watch it burst before we knotted em, when mom announced this battery charged pump is already a thing of past in India. Ma says “ I had ordered one on Amazon, quite useful right?”
Empty water cans mean a call to the water delivery guy is due and so I say out loudly, mostly to remind myself “ we need to order water” because lord knows how many times I have a stash of laundered towels neatly folded in my hands and I am standing in front of the open refrigerator, wondering what I came there for, gazing into the refrigerator like it is supposed to give me some answer or clue why I am there ... sweet... so loud reminders are good.

Water is ordered and due in a couple of hours. I stand stirring sautéed onions for chicken biriyani, the onions sautéing with whole garam masala. Once the onions are sautéed I add all the usual suspects: ginger- garlic paste, green chillies, mint leaves, plump tomatoes and the holy trinity of all Indian foods “ cumin powder-turmeric powder and red chili powder” and then the smell that wafts through the house reminds me of the biriyani my grandma makes. I tell myself she would approve my cooking if she was in my house right now, my eyes turning moist instantly, throat with a lump. Door bell rings my mind knows it is the water guy my yearning heart wishes it was my family surprising me .
Water delivered and am back to my cooking, holding my mobile phone between ear and shoulder head tilted to one side on a call to my grandma narrating what I am making and how she’d like it.. she says soon “we can enjoy a meal together, and I want to have your masala chai” and then we chat for a long time to our hearts content.

for now I am thankful I can do that ... 😌