How things change.

we have always been a nuclear family. But a few years back, we had to shift back into our joint family in account of my dad’s going away to work for another country. My mom, my brother and I, relocated to our ancestral home and had to live with my two uncles and aunts who were my dads elder brothers.

Since my dad was the youngest, we too were the youngest of the cousins.

Before this, whenever we visited, these people were the sweetest on the planet but now, now that we were invading their “privacy,” suddenly we became the thorns on a rose that nobody really wanted. Perhaps dad was the rose that was missing and now in his absence, us, the thirns were more clearly visible.

My eldest uncle, who was “incharge” of our food needs, on some occasions on purpose, “forgit to bring us food, while he remembered to do so for his family; my eldest aunt, took away the aur conditioner from our room that my mum me and my brother shared; my younger uncle, as a doctor refuse to treat me when i was sick during covid; my younger aunt called me a girl who was “outspoken” and too modern and my cousins decided now of all times to finally unite amongst themselves and have a party that was less of a party and more of a statement against us as their united front. This used to bother me, alot, always and constantly.

Eventually as my dad returned and we moved back to our house after a whole year.

I moved away for college and so did my brother.

We chose to settle down and maintained no contact with these poeple that i had for ling considered family. My dad, though kept in touch with them for the sake of holding onto the relationship.

It has been five years, and now suddenly that i have become somewhat competent and my brother more than capable, they have requested our presence in one of their son’s wedding. They asked my dad not only about his availability but also ours to keep the date on accordance. After a long long time, they called my mom and asked her to come without fail, to bring us, and have us be present for each of the ceremonies, for afterall we were “the groom’s brother and sister” (her words, not mine)

We are going obviously, but we really don’t know what to expect. Its obvious that the change is mostly due to what we have become but I am not sure how people change so quickly once your situations change. It is still the same people, isnt it?