Bombay Mixx

Bombay Mixx - Chapter One - Part Two

Chapter One – New Pastures?

(Part Two)

My mother is called Niamh and is white Irish. I could tell that in her younger days my mother was a ‘looker’ because even now she gets attention from men her own age, much to my father’s annoyance. Blonde, slim and roughly around 5’6, she came over from Ireland when she was in her late teens to become a nurse but always planned to go back once she got her qualifications; then she met my father and decided to settle here. My mother is a lovely, kind woman but get on the wrong side of her and she will rip your head off (as all of us have experienced in the past!).

She is a very proud woman, who always wants the best for her family and will do anything for them, and her husband, as she had to fight very hard to get to where she is now with her family, career and marriage.

When she met my father (Parwez) (as the story is told later on in my life) she was on a night out with her work colleagues at the local pub near the hospital where she used to work and whilst she was waiting for a taxi to take her home, they struck up a conversation and he offered to wait with her whilst the taxi came. As my father worked close to the hospital, he used to see my mum all the time and after a few further encounters he asked my mother out on a date and she accepted.

He explained his situation after the 5th date and my mother decided to stand by him and wait.

My father’s situation was that he came over to England from Bombay to get an education about a year before he met my mother. He comes from a proud family where his father is hardworking and enjoys peace and his mother is the one who rules the household, demands respect and believes that she is usually right on all issues.

My father’s father had a friend who was already in the UK and they arranged for my father to work for him but also arranged for my father to marry his daughter, which he did but under protest. The marriage lasted just over a year before it ended in divorce. My father met my mother and they began an affair; once his divorce was finalised, he married my mother and a few months later my brother Renesh was born.

My parents never speak about how they got together (probably for good reason) but I know they experienced a lot of prejudice and family members disowning them because of the interracial relationship but this never affected their love for one another and when I was born they started their own taxi company and have never looked back.

I felt sorry for my father’s first wife because I don’t think she wanted to divorce but I’m guessing she got over it as after the divorce no one heard from her again.

I know that my father felt guilty about leaving this woman but I guess if you don’t love someone there’s only so much you can do before you finally snap.

As I thought about this, my thoughts were interrupted by my annoying sister, Gabrielle, doing her usual attention seeking routine, ‘mummy do you know whose house we’ve just got the contract to design?’ She paused for effect and everyone was waiting for her answer.

‘It’s that famous model who was in the news recently who was accused of slapping that waitress inNew Yorkfor putting dressing on her salad!’

‘Ooooh, well done darling, keep it up,’ my mother replied as she gave her a congratulatory hug.

I hated the way she could get everyone to linger on her every word by doing her princess routine but I guess that’s our childhood sister hatred coming out in adult life!