Defining oneself

I met a cousin cum younger brother's best friend for lunch yesterday and we had a long talk about life, career, relationships etc. He is a young guy and a sensible one at that; a rarity among Sikkimese men nowadays which is precisely the reason why I love conversing with him whenever an opportunity presents itself. It seems he had quite a few queries before joining his coaching classes but was intimidated to ask. This so-called intimidation has led towards my entry today.

I love my family to bits. Not just my immediate circle but also the extended folks. We have had a crowded upbringing so naturally having lots of people around is normal for us, while a number below five means the house is literally empty. Everyone has a certain personality carved out for themselves. My sister is the friendliest among us all. She can speak fluent Sikkimese and entice anyone for a third helping with one look at her eating with her hand. On the other hand, another cousin has always been considered the brain of the family. He is more popularly known as 'Ngilam' (or 'The dreamer') for he always seemed to be lost in his own world. My younger brother has the most amazing sense of humour that can light up any room. Few years back, after my maternal grandfather's funeral, I found everyone gathered in the kitchen listening to Parker crack jokes and mimic. Everyone was literally on the floor, laughing their heart out or shedding tears of joy. I thought it was highly unlikely to find such an atmosphere given the situation, but I was very pleased because this is how farewells should be. At least I wouldn't want mine to be any different. My brother is therefore seen as a younger version of my father, always the entertainer.

Coming to my description, I am the no-nonsense one in the family. I have never scolded anyone, neither have I been strict with the little ones yet if they had to take the name of the one person they were scared of that would have to be me for sure. Case in point, one time my nephew and his friends were playing football in the corridor downstairs while we were studying for our board exams. My cousin, who was preparing for her tenth boards, went down and shooed them away only to hear them back in action within five minutes. This happened a second time until I decided to go and try it myself the third time. The moment my nephew saw me, all of them scampered back in their holes. This without even saying a word!

The fact of the matter is that there is some truth hidden in these tags as we move along. We surely must have shown certain traits that led to us getting these titles in the first place. Cyden needs to smile a lot more I suppose.