Giving the bees a run for their money

Note : details are around 90% accurate, 10% exaggeration. 

I know a lot of busy people. My sister, for instance. Sitting still for a few seconds drives her mad with boredom, and when that happens she either begins throwing things around or beating me up. Or both.

I know busy animals too. There's this dog that keeps entering my school. It scouts around the place and is often found lounging about near the canteen. The watchman, or, in some cases, the watchmen, spend a great deal of of time and energy in driving it out. After which, a dog loving tenth grader brings it right back in, petting and caressing it. The dog basks in glory and then proceeds to wag its tail and stick its tongue out. Which is not unusual for a dog, but on these occasions one begins to suspect that it's sticking its tongue out at the watchman.

But none of these characters can beat, or even hope to beat, my grandmother. As my grandfather remarks from time to time, “she needs a 72-hour day to complete all her tasks with perfection!”

To my grandfather's great annoyance, I fail to laugh every single time. Similar things happen on monsoon evenings, when my father announces, “we should change the name of our street from BK Road to BK River!”

That was a bit of a digression. Where was I?

Ah, yes. My busy grandmother. She must be some sort of a superwoman.

But, but, but, but, but, but, sometimes, her dreadfully tight schedule makes her lose track of what's going on.

For example : My grandmother orders water from a company known as Jeppiar. And she orders grocery and other stuff from a shop known as Chandamama Stores.

Today, she meant to order some coconut oil from Chandamama, but she called Jeppiar instead.

The conversation that ensued was something like this...

My grandmother : Hello.

Receiver : Allo.

MG : Have you sent everything?

R : Umm, yes.

MG : Oh. That's bad.

R : Why?

MG : I wanted some coconut oil too.

R : ?!

The receiver then probably said something like, “we don't have coconut oil.”

MG : Out of stock? Will you tell me when you get some?

R : I think you have the wrong number.

MG : What?

R : Ma'am, this is Jeppiar Water Services.

MG : Oh.

R : ...

MG : Sorry.

With that she put the phone down. The above convo took place in Tamil, and therefore most of the humour may have been lost in translation.

On another day, my grandmother called up some random person thinking it was the courier service.

MG : Hello.

Receiver : Hello.

MG : There is a letter to be picked up.

Receiver : Eh?

MG : Note down my adress, please. C1, Kr -

(Interrupted by receiver)

R : Sorry, I th -

MG : I'll repeat, C1 -

R : This isn't the courier service.

MG : ?

R : This is house.

MG : What?

R : This is house! My house

MG : Oh. Sorry.

According to my grandmother, there were many others busy like her in her family. And they all had moments like this. They seemed to have some sort of tradition of asking anyone who visited their house to run errands for them, such as buying some vegetables on the way.

My grandmother's relatives asked a lawyer (and would be minister) and a tuition master to do the above mentioned act without realizing who they were.

Now I know where my absent-mindedness comes from. Now you know where my blog's name comes from.