Heavenly Farms Revisted

We have safely reached India and stayed a few day at Heavenly Farms in Sirsa. Since this was the 2nd time that Jamey, Bonnie and I were there, we all fell right into our familiar and comfortable routines. Bonnie and I instantly took refuge to the kitchen with Surinder, the woman in the household, and Jamey went into the bedroom with Harpal, the man of the house, to discuss future documentary movie plans regarding organic farming. Anthony awkwardly waited in the living room until dinner was prepared. Meals were a bit uncomfortable since it was evident that Harpal and his wife were not talking to each other and possibly had not for some time. Something to do with dog food, she murmurred.

Surrinder asked me what Anthony does at home and I told her that he does some IT stuff. Her eyes lit up and she went and grabbed an old xbox and a computer the size of a fax machine and placed them on the living room table. Once Harpal knew there was someone who knew how to operate a PC the house, he suddenly lost the little computer knowledge he knew – like how to write an email.

I spent the next few days attached to Surrinder – watching old wedding movies, peeling garlic, eating sweets. Harpal asked me one night what I was planning on doing the next day.

“Whatever your wife asks me to do, I will happily do,” I replied.

I don’t think he appreciated that answer and said, “She sure like to watch her television.”

When Harpal saw Surrinder and I watching old wedding movies (once in which the camera was left in a corner of a room and forgotten about for an hour), he too wanted to take part of the misery. He took one on the disks and had us watch his daughter’s wedding on the small screen of his PC. Anthony started the computer, Bonnie and I sat painfully watching, and Jamey hid behind us with his computer, making sure to look up every few seconds.

The next day Surrinder asked me if the boys were going to the put up the badminton court. This discussion apparently happened in the secret meeting Harpal had with Jamey behind the bedroom door on the night we arrived. Something to do with the boys playing badminton at his nephew’s house and Harpal wanting the boys to play at his house. Surrinder was concerned with Jaspal eating junk food over there. Controlling parental stuff, if you ask me. Us Americans cleared out an area in the back and put up a sad looking court. We used 2 old tables and 2 old poles to hold up the net. Tables has to be moved, drying lines had to be restrung and shit had to be scooped. I give this net a month before it’s taken down.

We went to play badminton that night and felt sad about our court that we had set up. Remy had a professional court and concession stand. Immediately a boy popped out on the court offering us sweet lime juice and canned soda. Later he served us 3 plates of home made fries in which we played “never have I ever” with them.