#37 The secret life of uncles
June 30, 2022•383 words
I once went to a bar near Adyar signal. I walked in with my friends, ordered some beers, and got comfortable. I looked around to see what the place was all about. The place hadn't had a renovation in a long time. It had plain walls, old mirrors, inadequate lighting and some functioning snooker tables. There was faint music in the background trying to add some spirit to the place.
When we were drinking, an old uncle walked into the bar with a plastic basket full of vegetables. A waiter came running and greeted him. He wished back. The waiter showed him to his table and after a few minutes brought a bottle of cold beer and some snacks.
The uncle must be in his late 60s. He kept the vegetable basket on the far end of the table and started enjoying his beer. A few minutes later, he got a phone call. I think it must be from his wife. He answered the call and said "Yes! I'm still at the market. I stopped by to have some tea. I will finish shopping, meet some friends, and come home for dinner."
He cut the call and spent the next hour enjoying his beer. He was talking with the waiters, cracked jokes, and stood up when the second phone call came.
Retired uncles are everywhere. They're sneaky, daring (uncles with cholesterol will eat vada every day and uncles with diabetes can be seen eating mysore pak in sweet shops), and knows how to enjoy life.
You can see them at bunk shops smoking cigarettes, at tea shops eating vada, at restaurants eating masala Dosa and having filter coffee, at bars playing snooker and having beer. They know how to chill and they do it without worrying about their age or doctor's advice. They've got nothing to lose.
With nothing to do, they make it a routine to visit these places. They are easy to talk to, they entertain you with wild stories, offer you life advice and will be extremely vocal about their opinions whether you want it, or not. In a way, retired uncles bring life to tea shops and restaurants. I'm not sure how many of them are left after the pandemic, but I wish to see some of them soon.