Birthday note...to a childhood friend

I wrote this birthday note to a dear childhood friend from my Duliajan days, reminiscing a particular event, that also speaks of what friendships and belonging felt like then...

Dear Mainoo,

Happy birthday!

A few decades ago, towards this day, your birthday, you had a grand plan. This was expressed by you to Ma and me. From that point onwards, we got going in trying to fulfill your wish. Ma started to plan the cake you had wanted and the menu that you had wished for. You had expressed everything in detail so that there was no doubt in anyone's mind. Part of the party planning was also inviting some of your friends. So I would take out my cycle, and you would gladly plonk on the back seat. I might have been heavier than you, but cycling you around Duliajan with numerous stops in-between was no easy task. I did it with  joy as it was an adventure I was sharing with you. We would stop at all the fortunate invitees' homes including every white person that lived in Duliajan (there were 2 or 3 foreigner families, as we would refer to them, living and working in Duliajan then, I think). Before going in to invite them,  you would give me a detailed profile of each family. I would obediently go in with you as you would confidently invite these strangers for your party in my home. When I look back now, I loved this confidence as it spoke of your sense of belonging to my family. There really was no "us" and "them"  in those childhood moments...Later, we would giggle non-stop about every little thing and wonder with some fascination by the way the foreigners did and said things..everything that was new or unfamiliar to us, we would run those by each other. Once the invitations were done, we would go back home tired, and Ma would have some of our favourite goodies ready for us and we would devour those, but not without competing for the bottom sticky parts of certain dishes that always felt like the richest part of a meal. As your birthday came nearer, the planning was on full swing. Then, one day, your Ma visited us and requested Ma to cancel your birthday party. She was so apologetic, thinking that this was creating great inconvenience to Ma. Ma insisted that it was okay to have your party at our place...but...anyway, to my child's mind, this felt like a big disappointment, especially as I felt your heart at that moment. Maybe it made sense to the elders, but I really wished we had your birthday party in our home that year. So the crux of the matter here is, today on your birthday, my mind captured that childhood memory and brought it to the forefront, inspiring me to write about the fun, the adventure, the giggles, the laughter, the serious party planning discussions we had together for that grand party that did not happen... but what it did and perhaps this is the most important part...it created a sweet and unforgettable memory..and I am thankful for that. 

You will always remain my childhood friend whose plans I believe in, irrespective...

Love 

Mimi