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My agitated mother met with the school counselor and declared that extracurriculars were mandatory to attend college and become a doctor. By then, I had refused to practice for the school marching band and weaseled out of extra math classes at Kumon. I was 14 when I started music classes with Shilpa Aunty. She hoped they’d have a baby girl, soon. She deemed it auspicious, having a young couple move to the neighborhood after the bad luck we’d had. My mother talked at night of Aunty and Uncle again. Shilpa Aunty’s hair flowed down her shoulders like a black waterfall. I eavesdropped, lying on the fuzzy, mauve rug that covered our living room floor, pretending to play while translating their Telugu conversation to English in my head. The four adults had tea at the dining table. She was so fair-skinned compared to me – fair as my mother wished I w as – and younger than any Aunty I knew. She wore a red V-neck t-shirt, red lipstick. Shilpa Aunty lowered herself until her eyes met mine.
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“Hello,” I said, waving both hands, one holding G.I. “Mani, come here, ” m y mother ordered me to the door. Shilpa Aunty and Pavan Uncle walked in, a tad reluctant ly, behind my mother. My father, whom I called Nana, but everyone else called Rajesh, observed from the living room, holding a yellowed copy of Waiting for the Mahatma. She trusted their Indian features and scampered outside to invite them in. She was staring out of the window on a Sunday afternoon when she spotted Shilpa Aunty and Pavan Uncle walking, holding hands. Amma never wore t-shirts after 2001 because she was praying a lot more. Pulling at the hems of those blouses, I would ask for sweets.
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She wore thin, black sweatpants that didn’t match her Indian blouses, full of patterned, colored sequins shimmering in the light. When I was home from school, I used to watch her watch ing others.
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She opened the blinds at a slant, just enough for her to survey the street, without being seen. She started working from home every day, and in the lulls between muted conference calls, she stared out of our den window, adjudicating the trustworthiness of passersby.
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My mother, whom I called Amma, but everyone else called Savi, became suspicious. W e didn’t talk about that, even when I tried, so I kept my memories quiet. More people were paying attention to Indians then, because it was 2002 and people who looked like us, or at least had the same shade of skin, had done bad things in 2001. The thief had realized Indians kept collections of jewelry at home necessary for not-so-subtle indications of wealth at parties. I was just glad no one had stolen my Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I was eight when Shilpa Aunty moved into our hilly West Lake neighborhood. I close the door, even though no one is at home. My shaking hand s hold the ornate invitation ( on gold-trimmed cardstock ) from Shilpa. I move to the brown Victorian chair and the stand lamp attempts to brighten the study. Taken from Wikipedia.I am 34, finally feeling fortunate, when I see her envelope atop the mail. Their fourth album The Ruminant Band was released on August 4,2009.Eric Johnson has now joined The Shins, though according to their web site, he plans to continue working with the Fruit Bats. Spurred on by Califone/Perishable Records honchos Tim Rutili andBen Massarella, the group recorded their first album, Echolocation, released in 2001.After tours with Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Modest Mouse and The Shins, Fruit Bats signed with Sub Pop in late summer 2002,recording their second album, 2003s Mouthfuls.The group released their third album, Spelled in Bones, in 2005. read moreįruit Bats is an American folk rock band originally from Chicago, but now based in Seattle.Fruit Bats were formed in 1999 by guitarist, pianist and singer Eric Johnson, the band's main songwriter and only constant member.Originally part of short-lived Chicago group I Rowboat, Johnson and two of his fellow Rowboat members, guitarist Dan Strack anddrummer Brian Belval, created Fruit Bats as a side-project.When I Rowboat split up, Fruit Bats became Johnson's main focus. Spurred on by Califone/Perishable Records honchos Tim Rutili andBen Massarella, the group recorded their first album, Echolocati. Fruit Bats is an American folk rock band originally from Chicago, but now based in Seattle.Fruit Bats were formed in 1999 by guitarist, pianist and singer Eric Johnson, the band's main songwriter and only constant member.Originally part of short-lived Chicago group I Rowboat, Johnson and two of his fellow Rowboat members, guitarist Dan Strack anddrummer Brian Belval, created Fruit Bats as a side-project.When I Rowboat split up, Fruit Bats became Johnson's main focus.
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