It may be a year and a half since my lil niece was born.... but I remember events leading up to that day as clearly like they happened yesterday... Coming to think of it, a lot was happening in my life around that time, but some events stand out more distinctly than others. Like the day before she came into this world.
I was getting ready for college and hadn't the slightest idea that that day was the eve of a life changing event. I woke up at the usual, but (of all days) I'd spent an hour talking to a friend in the morning. As a result, I rushed out pretty late. I remember which street I was driving on when I my phone buzzed. It was from home and my other sister informed me of my eldest sister being driven to the hospital right then. The baby was expected soon. I pulled over to the side of the road and cried.
I distinctly remember which classes I had that day. Not much of what was being taught, of course, but I remember staring out of the window whilst sitting in class and thinking of how different our lives were about to become... I left college early because I didn't want to miss being there...
I got home sooner than usual, and to my absolute surprise I saw my eldest sister sitting serenely in our living room (instead of in a hospital room as I'd imagined she'd be) in the company of a couple of neighbours and a family friend. They may have come just to wish her luck, or as is in our Indian tradition, they came to give her gifts and wish her well with the baby... The rest of the evening was a bit of a blur. The guests left, we had dinner and then every half hour or so we were subject to my sister going in and out of what I later came to understand as contractions.
That night my brother-in-law and mother were constantly over the phone with my sister's doctor. I of course steered clear of anyone that either had a baby bump or a phone stuck to their ear listening to instructions. I may have gone to bed around 11, I'm not sure... I slept on the couch that day because we were accommodating more people than usual. At around 4.30 a.m, I was awoken by the sounds of people scuffling around and opened my eyes to see my sister waddle out with my mother and brother-in-law in tow. It's not everyday that someone wakes up to be a first-time-aunt...
I don't need to mention that I couldn't sleep a wink after that. In fact, neither could my dad, my other sister, or the old relative at home. So we decided to get dressed and visit my sister in the hospital.
I'm not the sort that takes long to get dressed, but even I managed to set myself a record of being ready in a matter of minutes... I don't know what we thought by arriving at the hospital maybe an hour after my sister was admitted. I probably thought the kid would be delivered and would look as cute as the babies in diaper ads. Wrong, On both counts.
My sister, we were told was very much in labour and we were asked in no uncertain terms to bugger off and be back when the child was actually born. Having nothing better to do at 6 a.m, we left for breakfast and then home. My mother promised to call us at 10 a.m to tell us the of the status quo. The baby would most probably be out by then, she said.
The rest of us meanwhile, reached home. I informed my classmates of my taking the day off and decided to take a nap seeing as how there was nothing to do but wait. I set the alarm for 10 a.m and miraculously woke 5 minutes before it went off.
It so happens, that the day my niece was born, also happened to be the day we seniors (at university) were throwing the juniors a welcome party. And as (ill) luck would have it, I was set to compere the event.
By 11 am, there was still no news from my mother so I thought I'd go the beauty palour and get spruced a bit. (There was full chance of my sister having the baby on the next day, and if that was the case, I could not chicken out from attending the party. Well, turns out I couldn't chicken out in any case, because I did end up finally going, but oh well)
I returned around 12 pm and still no news. I was getting my clothes together for that evening's party when my dad's phone rang. My sister and dad were presumably in the same room and there was a whoop of joy. I entered the room and beaming, Papa handed me the phone.
"Congratulations Ashe, you're an aunt to a healthy baby girl" an exhausted young mother said.
The gamut of emotions were immense. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Being treated as the baby of the house for 23 long years was finally up. Now there was someone who I would lovingly pass on the mantle to.
Anvika looked every bit a shriveled bundle of baby, when I first set eyes on her. A thick mop of hair, alert eyes, and translucent skin. That's how I remember my baby niece a few hours after she was born. I can't say I thought she was the most beautiful baby et al, because she wasn't. Yet, when I did look at her and it actually sunk in that that little being was my sister's baby, I felt my eyes get moist.
Turning an aunt is a one of a kind experience. You're close enough to feel the full impact of welcoming a new being into the world, but far away enough to not be woken up for 3 a.m diaper changes. All in all, I think being an aunt is the most fun of all the equations one can have with the child (at least till they can be called that) You have all the energy in the world to monkey around, yet you don't have to be responsible for feed and sleep timings. I love being an aunt. I became one for the second time round this year, and feel almost completely comfortable around babies now. (At least I'm not scared of them anymore!) .... To this day, I look back fondly on August 12th 2011. It was the day that set the precedent for how things would be for the rest of our lives and what changed the dynamics at home completely.
