The Decade in US of A Part1

Now when it’s time to go back, I keep thinking of the time when we arrive in this unknown land about a decade ago. The land full of dreams and hopes. The land of immigrants like us. The land called USA that has US in it (for now).

Like everyone, we came here with four suitcases, stayed in a cheap motel arranged by our consultant company and finally rescued from there by Sameer’s cousin. It was a relief to find family members here, nice and warm. We got tons of help from them we needed to stabilize here and we are really thankful to them for that. I felt a bond with their elder daughter, who was just 3 months then, and still have a soft corner for her.

This alien country, that calls us alien, has a big contribution in our lives. We (me & my husband) started our own family here. Our two precious kids are born here. Their first words, their first steps and their first schools, all happened here. Our first car, first house, so many memories have their roots here. Still we feel alone here sometimes. Why, many people ask. The only answer that comes to my lips is, “family is in India, our parents, our siblings and, their children”. But, I'm not writing this about India. This article is about our stay in USA. So, I'll try to stick to this.

The first friend I made here is Aunty. And now our families are friends. And touchwood, pretty good friends, actually they are our family. Oh! How much we are going to miss them! Her granddaughter keeps reminding me of how much time has passed. We saw her when she was not even 2. And now, she's grown into a beautiful young girl with enviable beautiful, long, silky hair. How can I not mention the walks with Aunty when I was pregnant with my first child. Her one simple compliment made me realize the beauty of the motherhood. I was standing in our balcony with my new born baby. She called me while waiting for her another friend and said "Bahut sundar lag rahi hai" (You are looking very beautiful). Though, I was in my PJs, with messy hair. But that one simple sentence made me feel special. Uncleji doesn't express much, but I know he loves us and doesn't want us to leave. Their son and daughter-in-law are so loving (as well as lovable). They made us realize that they are there whenever we need them. We never felt like outsiders with them.

I still remember the day when I came to know that my best friend from the childhood is coming to NJ after her wedding. We had a great time with her & her husband. Wow, what a carefree time it was. We spent so many days together. There was never any formality between our families, we were just a phone call away from each other. We found one more family here to share our joys.

It's really a small world after all. It proved to be true once again when we happened to meet an ex-colleague at a mall with his wife and son. Their son was about the age of our son. We had tea together. That tea was the beginning of a beautiful relationship among our families. Our son and theirs made friends with each other and got along pretty well. The best coincidence was that I & his wife were pregnant with our second babies at almost the same time and we both were blessed with daughters. And now they are such good friends. Our family grew some more.

In this little family of ours is one more couple. Such good-hearted people they are. They always make sure that they visit us sometimes though we don't somehow get to visit them often enough. And I'm so grateful that they do without any expectation for a return visit from us. They are known among us the "Game Organizers". We are going to miss the get together when they would be playing some interesting games so well organized.

We were excited to know that one more friend of Sameer is coming to US of A. I didn't know him much then. But pretty soon, he became a part of the family. Our son was comfortable with him. When we heard when his family is going to join him here, we tried to convince them to get a job in NJ but that didn't happen. They settled in PA. But that didn't affect the relationship that grew among our families. His wife is a pleasure to be with. We are so glad we know them.

This article would be incomplete if I don’t mention my neighbor. Neighbors like her are treasure. She’s always ready to offer help anytime, any day; not only to us but to everyone. Thank you, my Friend, my neighbor for being so dependable.

It's amazing how people connect with each other. It's all about frequency, about wavelength.

Like every immigrant, we started with an empty house and slowly made it our home; filled it with carefully chosen stuff, and memorable moments. The time to say goodbye is approaching. The house is sold, things are being wrapped, the boxes are being packed, and tons of memories are saved in our hearts. The furniture and big items are being sold one by one. The house is getting emptier with each passing day. It feels like going back to the beginning. It’s the time and our hearts are fluttering with excitement, with happiness, with sadness. We are going to be with our family leaving our family behind.