Its a whole different world with kids

Yesterday I went to dinner with my Chacha (a title given to your father's brother, in this case the youngest brother) who was celebrating his birthday. It was a very different experince from what I'm usually used to at dinner at a resturant.The kids ran around like fanatics, goign to the rooftop resturant's railings andlooking over much to the copncern of all adults present. Every two secopnds werepunctruated by someone asking when the food would arrive. One enterprising cousin felt thatthe arrival of the food would be expediated by a crisp five rupee note, which he proceededto offer to the waiter, the waiter laughed and my young cousin sat down with a pout on hisface only to chime up a few seconds later, when is the food coming?

Then there was the unfortunate cutlery, which was dropped, licked, dropped again and bangedaround throughout the 20 minutes it took the food to arrive. when teh food did arrive,it led to the obvious query, where are the bottles which in Pakistan means cold drinks.Everyone excepot me was shivering on teh rooftop because you know, 18 degrees above zerois fucking cold according to these pople, but no cold drinks? what? I couldn't help but smile.the smile faded soon after however, when one of my young cousains being afdraid of catsstarted shrieking at the pussycat that was now circling under her legs. Cats are no bigthing in Karachi, they are everywhere and you have to get used to them, even at resturants.But she shrieked like the world was on fire, nearly making me choke on my boneless chciken,which was very good by the way.

Midway into the meal a huge thud sounded in the background and within seconds myenterprising cousin had returned from the railing post he was now commanding to inform usthat an ambulancer had flipped over on the road below us. The confusion, and sheer ecstasythat followed on the rooftop was a siter to behold. While me and my Chacha sat and ate,nothing being able to extract us from out chicken, the kids ran around as if celebrationgthe tipping of the ambulance. Their mothers followed them around as if in a maniacal trance,their burqas getting caught under their feet and the kids streaming crocodile tears while subtly tabling a proposition, all would return to normality only if cold drinks arrivepost haste. In desperation, one of my aunts ordered Pepsi for everyone. The meal finishedquietly in comparison to how it started, but the night was to continue.

A stream of sneezes and streaming noses punctuated the ride home. Now everyone exceptmyself and my Chacha are sick, they are all in bed having been directed to rest. Thehouse is a fucking furnace and its only 18 degrees outside. as if to reward ourself fornot lashing out at one of the kids, my Chacha and I went out to lunch today in a trendypart of town and rewarded ourselves with ice cream afterwards.

I love my cousins, but I wish they would sit still and shut up for just five minutes. Ironically, I seem to have gotten my wish as they lie in their beds sick as hell. Now, if they would only stop sneezing incessantly.