After spending time with my (little) cousins during a recent trip, we made a WhatsApp group of all cousins so we can keep up the banter and fun.
The first few days of the group were fine as we all had pictures & videos to share; this aided the fun and banter part.
Once I was back, I took time to settle down and get back to my routine. Days later, I penned individual messages to all of them just to check in on them. Most of the responses were pleasant and some went on to become mini conversations of sorts.
Then, one response came in which got me worried! I sat up, alarmed as I read the reply.
My message: “Howdy kiddo bro?”
The response: “Nothing going good”
This cousin is a 1st year Engineering student and is studying away from home in another city.
I immediately called him, and he declined my call!! Now I was really uneasy & anxious.
He messaged to say that he is in college and that he would call me in a few hours.
Now from this time, to the time of the call all sorts of thoughts were crossing my mind and I was eagerly waiting for the call. Minutes went on to become hours and my elder-sister mode was on high alert.
I even thought of speaking with my aunt (this cousin’s mom) to check if she knows anything; but then decided against it coz if she had no idea then I would just alarm her and cause unnecessary panic.
So, wait I did and a whole lot of it.
Finally he called and I poured out a barrage of questions onto him. He sounded flustered and patiently said “But, Didi everything is okay”. I immediately read out his reply to me which started all this and he responded in his usual (much to my chagrin) cool manner; he said “Didi, my response is missing a comma!! I meant to put a comma after ‘nothing’ but forgot about it”.
I didn’t know what to say!! For the first time in the conversation I was dumbfounded and struggled to find words that could convey the plethora of thoughts and emotions I was feeling in that moment.
There was instant relief to begin with, then a silent scream for the casual attitude towards grammar (those who studied Wren & Martin would know my anguish), then a rumble-jumble of questions, “why didn’t you edit the message or write another one, etc. etc.”.
Anyways, in the end we laughed at what had happened and I (almost) pleaded with him to write messages with all clarity so that such misunderstandings don’t happen ever again.
