Conversations in the Car

When you belong to a family that keeps road-tripping together all the time (even if it is to the nearby Jockey store), some of the insightful conversations that bring us closer happen in the car. And sometimes, the silent breaks are just as unifying.

The Naked Ape

The other day, while navigating through Karamana, I was ranting away on how one of the very beautiful waterfalls in the outskirts of Trivandrum has been fenced off because people kept drowning in the two feet water there.

[Achan]: People keep chasing smoke and water for getting high. Isn’t the fact that we get to plant our feet on this strange and unique planet every day intoxicating enough?
[Amma]: *yaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwn*
[Achan]: Okay.

Plant and Animal Killers

Once as we were pulling out of the driveway, Amma noticed a flowerpot on our neighbour’s wall.

[Amma]: Hmmm so many roses…
[Achan]: We must destroy it.
[Me]: Let’s kick it down.
[Achan]: Yes, and it will fall in front of their dachshund and the dog will fall backwards in horror.
[3 of us]: Bwahahahahahahahaha

Truck Stop

The best bonding happens on the highway at night.

[Achan]: *driving driving driving* *hits the brake*
[Brother in law]: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa. We are under a truck.
[Amma, Gingi, Me]: Huhuhuhuhu
[Achan]: *silently pulls back from under the parked truck* Don’t worry. We will reach Kodaikanal safely. Also, welcome to the family.

Why did the Maruti 800 cross the road?

Driving from Nelliyampathy to Pattambi at night,

[Achan]: Where have we reached?
[Amma]: *squints at a board* Kulappully
[Achan]: Okay

Two minutes of silence later, the car skids in circles across the highway, goes off the road and halts in front of a closed gate.

[Achan]: I fell asleep.
[Amma]: I also fell asleep.
[Me]: I didn’t fall asleep 😐

Carnap

[Achan]: I need a break. *pulls over* Let’s transfer the photos from the trip and look at them.
[Gingi]: *transfers pics and starts slideshow*
After going through all the pics, Achan declares that he is still sleepy. So we all decide to take a nap in the car. After a few minutes,

*knock knock*

[Police Uncle]: Sir, it is not safe to sleep by the highway at 2 AM.
[Achan]: We were just taking a quick nap.
[Police Uncle]: Sir, there’s a police station few metres from here. You can park there and sleep.
[Achan]: Thanks. It’s okay. We were just leaving.
*starts the car, declares he is not sleepy anymore, asks Amma to play the official family road trip song and drives away. Amma turns on the stereo and Jassie Gift starts singing ‘Annakkili… jillelele jillele sanidhanipadhmapanisanisanisanisani’.*

Yes, we have impeccable taste in music.

That’s all.