Deja vu.

While I was cooking lunch today, my little son, E, comes up to the kitchen with a little Thomas the Tank book and sits smack on the floor in the middle of the door and proceeds to read his book. When he reads a book, of course, he has the book and I read it and mind you, in the background, I have 2 burners burning away furiously! What struck me most at this moment was what I used to do for years before I got married and became the mistress of my house and kitchen. As far back as I can remember, I have always studied in my aai's kitchen! I used to get all my books and "study" at the table while my aai went about her work. Then, a lot of other topics would come up in between me explaining the mechanism of action of penicillin to my aai. We would talk about the relatives and the gossip in town, about who was getting married to whom and who shouldn't be getting married, all the girl talk! I do not know how much I would really study at these times, but those mornings are a beautiful page in my memory folder.
Some days, my aai's kitchen would be replaced by my ajji's (mom's mom). I spent a few years with her and the same thing would happen there. Now, my ajji (who I am extremely fond of) is militant about waking up early in the morning. And of course, when i lived with her (in my late teens), I COULD NOT wake up early in the morning. But i would make an effort because then, I could sit with her in her kitchen, sipping hot coffee (with the book on my lap) and alternately study and talk to my ajji. I love my ajji and have spent the most memorable moments with her. I loved to hear her talk about religion, the puranas, the stories in ramayana and mahabharata and why we celebrate some festivals in a particular way. All these conversations always took place in the kitchen. I know my bro, A, who also lived with her for a few years tells me of the good times he has had in her kitchen.
I remember when E was but a wee one, I would put him in his high chair and roll him close to my kitchen island where I could talk to him as I got dinner ready. Maybe ,this is the start of a new generational kitchen talk between me and my little baby! When I read this post a few years from now, maybe I will have a million conversations to add to the story of Thomas the Tank Engine.
Here's to a long and beautiful tradition of kitchen talk with you, E!!! I can't wait for the stories.