The boy in purple sweatshirt

Chapter 10

We all got outta bus and looked around to see so many cars & vehicles parked here.So many foreigners are also here.But one thing is pinching me hard.

That another bus haven't arrived yet . Yes.....My abbu,uncle & mamas haven't arrived yet n after 30 mins the ship will be released from here!

"Apu,where are they?", I asked shetol apu.

" I called my dad n he said they're on the way",Ishmam apu said.She started to bite her nails n got hit by shetol apu.I don't judge her for that cus I also Have that habbit.My abbu tried his best to make me understand that I shouldn't be doing that but I couldn't '...

"I called abbu but....", Mickey looked tensed.

Ammu,shejo Khalamon, boro mami,mejo mami came.

" What if they don't make it here timely ! ",boro mami said.

" Don't say that, bhabi.Just pray",Mejo mami said.''Bhabi' means 'sister-in-law'.We use that as honorific for brother's wife.

Like -if Moinul bhaiya gets married, I'll call his wife 'bhabi' .

"Ai ishmaimme bafore phone gori sai!", Shejo Khalamoni dialed uncle's number.Ik you din understand what she said!It's Chittagongian language . Our native language . It literally means that she's gonna call uncle.

" Ai anuwarore phone goijje kintu no lager timely aitfaribu",Ammu said.Ammu said that she called my abbu n she doesn't think they're gonna make it timely.

"Aunty,I think we should eat sumpthin ", Ekap bhaiya pointed his fingers at the tea stall here.

" Fuppi,he's right",Moinul bhaiya said.'Fuppi' means aunt but we use that for father's sister only as a honorific not for mom's sister.

Like-Siam's kids will call Ishmam apu 'fuppi' or 'fufi' .

Before we could go to the tea stall , Toby showed up wid his parents . Oh my my!His father looks like James McAvoy.

"Hi!Assalamalkum", Toby said.

" Assalamualaikum",Ishmam apu corrected as she laughed hard.I did too cos that so much like Koreanbhai aka Joseph Kim ( a youtuber).

Toby introduced his parents wid everyone.

"Hi.I'm To-Alan's mom.Sarah D'Cruz", his mom smiled.Her chestnut hair is so straight . She's wearing a blue shrug.

" Kaienath,how are you? ",she asked me as Everyone excused her to meet Mr. D'Cruz.

''I-I... Um...am fine but how do you know m-my name?", I stuttered.She smiled.

" Toby just talks a lot about yuh...Tabiba,Ishmam,Siam,

Moinul,Ekap,Mishkath,Azmain,Naziyath and all of yuh",

she smiled.She pinched Naziyath's cheeks and kissed Meherab and Mim's forehead.

Toby's Father turned towards us.He smiled at me.

"I'm Toby's... I mean,Alan's father.James D'Cruz", he shook hands wid me.He shook his hands with others too.

Toby's parents became so friendly wid our parents that they all engrossed themself in a conversation.My cousins & I found our conversation wid Toby.

" Ok,so let's eat sumpthin.There's tea stall!",Ammu spoke up and we all turned on our heels.

We all sat & a guy came. We ordered Chaa (tea),Bun,3 bottles of water,samosa.

Soon,the table was filled with foods.Toby's parents seemed excited. Toby looked at me in weird way as I caught him glaring at me.Crazy fella!

He smiled and not to mention the fact that he was caught off-guard when he caught me glaring at his dimples.He touched his cheeks giving me a are-they-that-deep look . I looked away.

I took a look at my phone screen to see it's 11:52.Oh no!8 mins remaining n they haven't arrived ye. Shit!

"Ammu,they haven't arrived yet and after 8 mins...yuh know?", I said.Ammu again called abbu as khalakmoni called uncle.

Ammu n Khalamoni talked to abbu n uncle.

" Listen,they're sayin we should get on the ship and they'd be here any moment.So,get up!",Khalamoni said loudly.

We all got up.We turned on our heels towards the ghaat.We made long queue like others. One by one we all walked towards the launch/steamer in a really long line.

I was walking between Tabiba and Siam. Siam kept touching my hair n irritating me.

"See!your hair.They're so lifeless!", he burst out laughing.

" so funny",I gave him a tight smile.

Soon, we all were inside the launch /steamer.We went to the compartment where our seats were booked.Everyone sat but my cousins and I kept standing in the balcony of the launch/ steamer.Ammu,Khalamon, Ekap bhaiya tried to call mama n uncle.

They contacted with someone n a middle aged men came.He's the manager.

"Okay,ma'ame,but where are your husbands ?", he asked with a gentle smile.

" They'll be here any moment !",Khalamoni said.

"But when?2 mins left only", he said.

" Can you wait for em?Just 1 min!please",Ammu requested.

"Just one min please!", Khalamoni insisted.

" Ma'ame It's 11:59, one min left.Call em n ask whether they could make it here or not!",he said.

"Could you please wait till 12:01 or 12:02?", Ekap bhaiya.

I yelled along with Ishmam apu and Moinul bhaiya as I spotted Abbu,Uncle , Boro mama,Mejo mama and shejo mama.They smiled and ran as fast as they could .

I felt like the launch/steamer was moving n I wasn't wrong.

" They're here!Please ! " , Khalamoni insisted .

Abbu was about to step inside the launch/steamer but it started movin.

"Sorry ma'ame! Rules are rules", he apologised.

Khalamon, Amm, Boro mami & mejo mami came running to where we were standing and looked at their husband. Pathetic ! It hurts!They all looked so helpless from there.

A drop of tear escaped down khalamoni's cheek.

" A journey of 2 hours and 50 minutes with em",Boro mami spoke up between her tears.

"Today I could feel what Raj was going throught", Ammu wiped her tears.She's so right.In a bollywood movie,DDLJ(Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge),Raj & Simran went through a situation similar to this but their was train n ours is a launch/steamer n Raj somehow managed to hold Simrab's hand and pulled her up to him where our dads are standing there helplessly.

It hurts......