Dear Diary,

I went to pick up Angeline & Evelyn from the airport today. The Bangalore flight arrived 20 minutes earlier than expected in Cochin International. Needless to say, I was still on my way to the airport at well over 100Kms/Hr. Anjechi called me and said that she would wait up front after getting her luggage.

Minutes later, I payed the parking fees for the Airport, picked up my phone from the dashboard and and walked to the gates. Dialing Anjechi’s cell on my way. I saw Evie next to her mom pushing the trolley (she thinks she is a big help for mommy) the minute Anjechi picked up the phone. We both said “hello” together, looking at each other with a huge glass pane separating us. It had been 2 months since I saw Evie on my last trip to Bangalore in June. She hid her face behind Mommy when she got sight me standing at the domestic flights’ arrival gates.

Even after Evie’s 2nd birthday, I still don’t feel like an uncle. It always makes me smile when every one corrects Evie to call me an uncle; but I’m comfortable with her calling me “Duba“. If I remember correctly, it was around 6 months ago that I told her to call me by my name instead of an “uncle”, in any language, added as a prefix or suffix. But she still can’t get her tongue to say Ruba. Now I really understand why they call Evie a bundle of joy.

After a few quick hugs (she knows I don’t do hugs), Anjechi passed me the trolley and we walked towards the car. Loaded the trunks with her bags & I got inside the car; And thats when I noticed something, I had my Nike on my left foot and the K-Swiss on the Right!!! Anjechi noticed me going silent for a second and her eyes followed mine to the car’s carpet. I had two different shoes on my legs. Fortunately for me, both were black.

I didn’t sleep the night before, since I will have to wake up in 3 hours anyway for the 7AM flight. I’m a light sleeper. I sleep only once every 2 days, most of the time. Then again, I was quite excited about having some time together with my only sister this Onam. Angeline & I never grew up together. We hardly know each other that well. But she & her girl are the only two people in the world that I call family

She asked me quietly, “wanna explain?” I was silent for a second or two. I was still in shock that I came all this way and I didn’t notice two different shoes on my legs. I finally got my voice back and replied, “Er, Insomnia… I don’t wanna talk about it.”

I could sense her trying to suppress giggles, sitting next to me. I felt my face turn red.