My Awkward Moments Part 3

 How embarrassing is to forget some one’s name or face, or being unable to correlate and match the name and face up?
I was lucky or unlucky enough to be in both the giving and receiving end of the problem and surely it was one big awkward moment, one thing is though the brain works like search engine to match up the face and find the name.. or vise versa, my face would give away, by a blank expression. I know I am very innocent! lol

Hailing from a big family, and visiting them only during school year end vacations, I was not pretty sure of many relatives, and when I go to some marriages with my mom, I see aunties and uncles asking me if I remember them.. at times I give a blank sheepish idiotic smile and nod no, but they later told my parents that it was offensive to not remember your close relatives (I don’t know how my fathers uncles, wife’s brothers mother Phew! Becomes close Kin.. I am still not so familiar with the once removed or twice removed cousins either..)

So, I took in another approach, when they ask me, I would smile a lot, and say “how could I not know you anuty?” that did get me some so cutes’!

But then again, they like mosquitoes, got used to the coil, and would enquire back, “so, tell me dear, who am I..” I end up looking every where for my parents, or some one to help me..

Recently I went to my native, as I approached my cousins house, I saw man in the veranda (front porch) with her child. I with my poor memory, assumed it to be her husband, come on tell me who else would sit lethargically in the porch with her kid..?

Me: Hey brother, how are you?

Him: I am fine. You?

Me: Me too! (With a biiig smile..) How is your father? Is he fine? How is his health after the surgery?

Him: (Gave a big pause and mysterious look?) My father.. hmm… He should be fine. You don’t remember me do you?

Me: Errr… (smells fishy.. turns around for help.. couldn’t find any) huh.. arentttt you Rakhi’s husband?

Him: ROFL… ROFL.. lols lol (The roar of laughter brought my cousin, her mother and every one out to the veranda..)

Me: Helplessly smiling..

Him: I am your cousin.. ( oorma ille? marichu poiya Padmanabapurathe mamane.. ? aa mamanu dubaiil oru magan ille? Athu njana de..) Don’t you remember the recently deceased uncle from padmanabapuram? I am his son settled in dubai.

Me: Embarrassed to the hell.. in front of every one..! Smiled at myself..

The most difficult part is that I enquired to him, about his father who passed away just before 2 months with yellow fever.. and he was my direct cousin.. All I needed was a center fresh before few minutes.. to 'Zubaan pe lagaam' ('zip my mouth')

How does it look being a victim?


I love my long train journey from office to home, though I made many friends on train, I rather love the solitary journey, occasionally taken by total surprise, I get to meet few of my school or college friends too..


This time I met a super senior from my school days and I knew her because I have been to her home, along with my father who is a family friend of theirs.


As soon as I see her, I brush up my mind and get her name (WOW!) that was lighting fast..


Me: Hi.. you are X right?


She: Yes (with puzzled expression)


Me: Janakiraman uncle’s daughter right? (with a shameless smile)


She: Ya.. but do I know you?


Me: (Offended of course still trying to jog up her memory.. ) ya you are my super senior in school, I have been to your house too, I know your father too..


She : Oh..


Me: (Victorious smile)


She: Ok I will tell father that I met you, your name please..


Me: ……… (blank) never mind.. take care bye!
Now I know how it felt for my once or twice or hundred times removed aunties and uncles.. Sigh! Awkward..!