Dear Kuttima
Your GCSE results arrived on 21st August. You had just finished your fantastic Kenya- Masai Mara trip with V, S, R and K and 5 other families from France and India and you were back in Chennai just the night before. I went to collect the results and daddy landed as a surprise at C and V's house to support you.
They had sweetly taken you to the temple, helped you meditate, distracted you with jokes etc. Appa logged in to see the results as we agreed and we got on a conference call, so I could open the hard copy results at your school. What a celebration it was! All A stars - 8s and 9s ( absolute high A *) and in subjects like Chemistry which is your firm favourite. English literature you were barely a few marks away from the full available mark set. The 2 subjects that were a grade below expected also were only 1 and 3 marks away, so we have applied for reval.
We immediately applied to 3 schools and you got immediate offers from all schools including the one that is notoriously difficult to get into! We were so delighted but you insisted on staying in your current school - to our massive disappointment
You landed on your birthday morning and had a lovely party with 10 families - you went on a sleepover with all your teen girls gang, went for breakfast the next morning with them and came back home in the evening. This after being away from mum for 3 weeks!
You did your dentistry work experience with Uncle S and N here in the UK, your surgery work ex in Chennai at Ap* Creams road and went on this africa trip. You also visited the Cambridge Law graduate's (S stayed with us when she was studying here and you were jealous because you thought I liked her more than you!) family and went shopping with her for your safari. They pampered you as well. All of them universally praised you for your discipline (!), confidence, smartness and most of all your 'joie de vivre' and how you work with and actively engage with everybody including the nurses, receptionists, residents, student doctors, surgeons and chief of departments - all with such ease. The africa families loved you so much that they arranged a small birthday celebration for you and dinner for your GCSE results.
C and V could not have taken care of you more or celebrated and loved you more if you were their own eldest! Of course, you were pampered by your grandparents as well. R and K and the new Parisian friend you made on your trip A - you are inseparable across continents and are always chatting with each other even now!
However, when it comes to us - it is a wholly different story. We argue all the time, we have flaming rows and say the most hurtful things to each other. You take us absolutely, completely and fully for granted and it infuriates me to no end! You talk/argue even before we can complete a sentence with you and the pattern is that you will always argue with us but will not let us avoid you/be silent either. You have to continuously evoke a reaction from us - please R, atleast this year, spare us the trauma!
You are becoming more independent, making your hair, cooking dosas, purchasing on your own etc. Interacting with people and making friends, we have to hold you back sometimes! But atleast with us - lack of punctuality and packing at the last minute and arguing are still issues. (Though the africa families said you were dot on time for all the safaries, even if it was at 5.30 am in the morning!). I see a girl I need to be really worried about whereas others see a confident, happy, lovely young lady we should be proud of!
I have lost count of the number of people who make it a point to let me know how much they think you have a wonderful personality when you were not here. Why the different versions kannamma. Amma, appa paavam da!
It is the critical A level years for the next couple of years. Please take care of your health, be punctual, be nice to us and continue to spread joy and have a ball!
Love you to the moon and back rajaathi!
Love,
Amma
PS
Appa has been hospitalized a couple of days after your birthday and he is still in the hospital as of now. Did not want your annual letter to be distracted, so have not mentioned it. As always, with our friends rallying around us, let us hope and pray appa is back home with us hale and hearty soon.
