Reading Between the Lines

Chapter 25: Blatherskite

"What's up?" My uncle returns, still as calm and levelheaded as ever. I need to see how to phrase my conversation. I don't want to upfront tell him what's been happening, but I don't want to drag it out either.

"Nothing, I was just bored," I respond vaguely as he nods his head slowly, watching my face. "Oh, so I'm just time pass for you? I see how it is," he snaps back.

"You know what I mean, mama," I laugh at his exaggerated reaction. He gives me a blank stare, but then he starts laughing with me too. Even if I'm calling him for a specific reason, I still missed talking to him. Even though he's a year younger than my mom, he's basically her twin: they have the same eye hooded large eyes (his are brown though), straight and narrow nose that widens at the tip, and even their heart-shaped mouths. He's also super tall like my mom, but he's around my dad's height. 

Yeah. Don't worry, I know. The height is a dead giveaway that they're not Full-blooded humans. Indians are generally below average in height. There's no way that fate paired two young-adult-looking Amazons together. And considering that his wife looks my age... WITH college and high-school-going children, I look like an even bigger fool right now for not putting the pieces together immediately.

Anyway, Vashist maava is the definition of the goofy younger brother: he goes through life as if it's an amusement park, and he never takes anything seriously. Not even himself. But that's why I love my maava: he teaches me that life is worth living and that one laugh can go a long way. If it wasn't for him, even if I had my goofy parents to help me out, I'd be a cold, emotionless ice cube.

"Where's Ankit and Aadhya?" 

"I thought you wanted to talk to me," he points to himself, a sneer on his face. 

"Well, now that you said that, I guess not," I shrug in amusement and pretend to drop the call. "I need to tell Aakar-" he's about to finish his sentence, but he widens his eyes in a sudden moment of surprise. He shakes his head before continuing, "Akanksha. I need to tell Akanksha that you're mean now."

What name was he about to say earlier?

"They're both at school. But besides that, how are you? How's your new school? And Dallas in general?"

And here I thought I would have to bring it up on my own. He just made this so much easier. See what I mean? Vashist maava knows what's up.

"It's pretty nice. It's not as bustling as New York City is, but it is way more livable. The school is different from what I expected, though," I segue, knowing exactly what my uncle is going to do next.

He's going to ask me why it's so different.

"Oh, how so?" 

Called it.

I think of what to say for a couple of seconds.

"Remember how you, Amma, and Appa were so against me applying there?"

"Yeah... but what does that have to do with anything? You didn't listen, anyway. You still went. Do you know how sad your mom was? Kept calling me and complaining about how much she wanted you in the house. Even I was getting annoyed by her constant whining. I never felt so used. She made me her cry pillow," he roasts my mom, something that he always does. Total baby brother energy right there.

"Yeah, that sounds like something she'd do. You're pretty good to talk to anyway." 

"Is that a compliment I just heard? Dallas is doing some good for you, after all. You never appreciate me."

"Glad you know that," I tease back to him as he sticks his tongue out at me because he's offended. 

"It's actually good that you wanted to call. Is everything okay between you and your parents?"