It seems years away
When with Gina and Karen, James, Anil, Leena and Sheelu, the Marleys, and the Alfords, we used to play
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Performing at Catholic Club on Talent Show Day
David singing Puff the Magic Dragon, me singing Please Thank You and Sorry, the Bartleys stealing the show anyway
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Going to St. Patricks for mass every Sunday
To listen to and participate in the liturgy, to have communion, to kneel, and to pray
And then after to Koshys to have dosas
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Going to school in a cycle rickshaw with Mummy every day
And when we were old enough, pedaling there on our bikes, Shabana riding pillion most days
With our school bags, our packed lunch, our tuck money to buy polly mango
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Getting chicken pox, measles, and mumps, and having to stay home from school for many days
Having to find inventive ways not to get bored, and to pass the time away
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Listening to Radio Ceylon every day
Learning American pop songs, which everyone would be surprised we knew, after we came to the U.S.A
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Waking up to the house being completely flooded after a spell of rainy nights and days
Rolling up our pants to get a massive cleanup under way
David taking a joyful dip in the water, before it evaporated, rolled, or seeped away.
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Getting our first pet dog, and then our second pet dog
And the big hunt we would have to do, when those pet dogs ran off and lost their way
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Going to the 3-day Sacred Hearts Fair to go on rides, to eat, and to play
With 10 rupees in our pockets to spend each day
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Getting our first guitar, and being taught by our friend Janet to play
Learning songs like House of the Rising Sun, and Hava Na Gila, which remained mainstays
And creating my own compositions such as The Tooter Who Tooted the Flute, the words and the tune of which, have lasted in my head till today
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Friends pouring into our house to play carroms, and pass the hours away
Hanging out just to talk and laugh, sometimes the whole day
Many lingering long after the sun had set, to go their own ways
A few of us walking up Brigade Road (Brigs) to have pani-puri before calling it a day
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Going to St. Joseph's Evening College for my P.U.C. with Lyla every day
Having one by two coffees with Virgie
And coming home at 9 p.m. every day
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Getting my first copywriting job
Meeting Anita and Jacky
And arguing about ouija boards and witchcraft and magic all day
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
When going to Knock Out Disco was the highlight of our days
And winning second prize in the annual disco contest caused so many hurrays
Not just for me and Zubin, but for family and friends, who watched us participate
It seems years away
__
It seems years away
Both the Bangalore and the Chennai days
Creating advertising campaigns, memories, and life-long friendships at MAA, Contract, HTA
And then at Purple Patch - my entrepreneurial foray
Egmore, Shreekant, playing Pictionary on the weekends with Chetan, Malini, Asma, Raj till the break of day
It seems years away
__
Life brought me to the U.S.A.
Where my life was so different from my pre-America days
Monsoons, pani-puri, Brigade Road, all those friends, all those escapades
Part of a different time
Part of those wonderful and colorful India days
It seems years away
And yet it seems,
yet it seems...
like it was just the other day!
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