D is for Dida

A is for Anindita. B is for Boeing. C is for Coming to visit, and D is for Delighted (and Dida)!

Anindita is my Dida, Mommy’s mommy, and she flew into Heathrow on a Boeing 747 to meet me for the first time last Sunday. And I’m delighted to say we get along like a house on fire!

I must admit that I wasn’t too pleased when Mommy and Daddy dragged me out of bed at 0430 am on Sunday morning but that was because I had forgotten what it was for. It’s not something I would ever do, you see; wake them up in the middle of the night.

After a long, tiring (sleeping is an exhausting business, I tell you) drive, we arrived at this huge, cavernous place filled with people jostling for a better view of something. I thought it might be the paparazzi waiting for me (as they do) but they seemed distinctly disinterested when I turned up. Only a few turned and smiled and an old lady attempted to tickle my chin which I dodged rather deftly.

As it turned out we were at Heathrow Airport and the surging, neck-craning crowd was waiting for their friends and family to arrive. That’s when I remembered Dida was arriving that morning on a big plane called a Boeing (they call it that because of the noise it makes when it bounces on the runway) to meet me! Now I was excited!

But it was a whole hour before Dida turned up because the Immigration People (don’t ask me who they are but they sound like a boring lot) were feeling a wee bit lonely (as they often do, Mommy told me) and were stopping everyone for very long chats. I was the first to spot Dida in the crowd- a little lady dressed like an Eskimo, just like Daddy said she would be- and head-butted Daddy to draw his attention. Soon I was scooped up into a lovely, silky bedspread (Mommy says it’s called a sari) and given a cuddle.

Daddy drove us home after that, with Mommy and Dida talking nineteen to the dozen in Bengali. I could join in because I am already multilingual (English, Bengali and Baby). By the time we’d got home, Dida and I had become the best of friends and as she’s going to be here for a month, we’re going to have a groovy (Dida is a child of the 60’s) time together. Anything that does not involve going outside, of course, just in case it’s too cold!

I know people around the world are waiting with bated breath for the minutiae of our adventures together this autumn (especially Dadu who, unfortunately, couldn’t join us this time). So, watch this space for further details (like will she or won’t she venture into 'the cold')!