The Background Noise

He knew all the terms these woke people used on the internet. Feminism, Patriarchy, Misogyny, all that crap.

But he also knew none held value, because as he discussed business and finance with his father, his mother and sister were in the kitchen cooking, serving as a background noise to their necessary discussions.

Their talks were audible, but knowing they were probably trivial things like cooking or some grocery, he thus barely heard them, engrossed in the more important things he and dad discussed that he was sure mom didn't even know of. His sister did though.

She was a genius student and he was glad she wouldn't be allowed to work in the future, not at least by dad, who believed the good grades she got were solely to attract a better groom.

As dinner got served, he let himself get lost in its taste, and damn that was delicious, the ladies did their work well. 

But dad thought differently, “It could be cooked more, it seems slightly raw.”

Oh, maybe it was truly raw.

He saw his sister look away and mutter something under her breath, before she was quietened by their mother's hand on hers.

He shrugged, focusing on the meal that probably had some raw rice. Because his father was never wrong.

**********

It had almost been 15 years since he had last seen his sister. 

After divorcing her husband within mere 2 years of marriage, she had stopped seeing them, thanks to how their dad had reacted to her divorce, practically disowning her for it.

But dad was dead now, had been so for 5 years, and she had probably been too angry to not even come to his funeral despite his FB post that she must have seen, because she had still not removed him from her friends’ list.

And now here he was, standing at her doorstep because he had contacted her on FB to tell her about their mother's illness, and she had called him here. Probably still loved mom.

As he entered, a little boy came running to him, and seemed to scan him, before taking off to the kitchen to get him water.

He had to blink to ensure he wasn't getting it wrong. But as he drank water, he wondered if his sister was raising her adopted son right. Oh ya, he knew she had adopted a baby boy 4 years back. So this one must be 4. Strange that she had informed him of it.

The little one sat beside him, eyeing him curiously. He smiled and ruffled his hair: “Where's your mother?”

“Putting the clothes to dry. She said I'm a cute little baby so I can't do it now, but when I grow taller, I can help her with that too.”

His frowned: “Oh. But why do you want to help? That's the woman's job.” 

He whispered the last line.

The little one narrowed his eyes, confused: “Because I live here, uncle. And we always care for our home and family. Like mumma cares for me and I care for her.”

Just then she came out, having heard what her little one had said. Smiling, she came to them and kissed his forehead, making him sit on her lap.

He was a little too perplexed to say anything for a minute.

Then he looked at the little one and then her: “You have made him..too modern.”

She smiled, shaking her head: “I'm just making him a man. The one you deserved to be. The one dad didn't let you be.”

“And maybe, the rice hadn't been raw at all.”

-By DP

(@dpwrites_49)