Spring Break in college should be all about going to a sun
soaked beach, partying the week away and come Sunday, not remembering a damn
thing that happened the past seven days.
Not for this desi girl. Nope. My spring break trip in 2006
consisted of hanging out with my best friend in the sun soaked beaches of South
Beach (winning!!) except I also had to bring along my arranged marriage saga of
the guy my parents were trying to set me up with at that time.
When the BFF and I booked the trip we were ubber excited because
this was our first getaway alone and we wanted to spend it sightseeing, getting
fabulous tans and most importantly, be away from our families.
As luck would have it, that semester, I was “talking” to a much older guy (11 years age difference to be exact) we will refer to as Big Papa and trying to figure out if we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. My cousin and his cousin were trying to set us up. Destination Miami also happened to be the city that his cousin was from. Mind you, by the time I got to Miami I hadn’t met Big Papa yet. Somehow by the time I landed in Miami my family and his family was already plotting my spring break demise when they all called me at separate times and insist that I have dinner with Big Papa’s Miami family.
Really? Whyyyyyyyyyy??? That was my reaction.
BFF was all for it since we would get a free meal out of it
(which seemed like a real good idea at the time) and she convinced me it’s probably
wouldn’t be that bad. Big Papa also called me to personally convince me to do
this as a favor to him and I agreed. He said he owed me big time for this. No
Shit Sherlock.
(Girls, lesson learned the hard way – whenever a guy calls you up for any favor, don’t just agree to it right off the bat. Know that there will be consequences and a really good story to tell forever).
The dinner was not that bad, we went to a nice authentic
desi restaurant. Big Papa’s cousin and his wife and their two (bratty) children
picked up the BFF and I from our hotel. It was what happened after dinner and
the following day that I will remember for the rest of my life.
After dinner the family decided that they would take my
friend and I over to their Miami residence for a tour because at dinner we
accidently expressed how much we love mangos. They have a mango tree and all
sorts of fruit garden growing in their backyard so why not take a tour of the
garden at 11:00pm at night when it’s dark outside?
Thought that was the last
I would have to see and make polite conversation with my maybe in-laws.
Boy was I wrong.
The next day the BFF and I decided it was a nice day to lay
out by the beach in the back of our hotel and get a little tanning done. She
and I headed outside and I took my phone but was surprised to get a missed call
and voicemail from the cousin from last night. Big Papa’s cousin and his wife
were stopping by our hotel any minute to drop off some mangoes for my friend
and I. I should have been delighted at the thoughtful gesture but the only
thing I could think of was how inappropriately the BFF and I were dressed
trying to get our tan on.
I frantically ran upstairs to put some decent clothes on and
hoping that they would not come through the lobby and see me practically half
naked running upstairs. I made it up to change and come down just in time to
see them waiting for me with a box of mangoes.
(What I am to do with a box full on mangoes on vacation?)
They also asked to see my BFF because they were so impressed
with meeting her the other night. Dare I tell that if they make their way
around the back of the hotel to the beach they can find sun bathing with
nothing on. In my mind I was secretly praying
that BFF doesn't make her grand entrance right now and hoping she enjoys a
little more of the sun until these people leave.
I graciously thanked Big Papa’s cousins for the mangoes and
secretly wanted to kill everyone in my family for coercing me to agree to this
dinner and especially Big Papa who was away from all this but he was the main
reason I agreed to this meet and greet and the reason why I as having major
anxiety attacks right now.
Needless to say I came home with a suitcase full of mangoes
and my mother’s only reaction/worry was why I looked so black “like the bottom
of a tea kettle” (her words not mine). How will anyone want to marry me know that
I’m fifty shades darker.
I guess I should have told her about our half naked
adventures and she would have another thing to worry about.
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