Malayali in London ~ Part-36

Chapter -9:

...Graduation...

I’m in Jennie’s room and she is freaking out. “We’re graduating tomorrow Akshi! How can you ask me to calm down?!” Jennie screams as I ask her to calm down for the fiftyth time in ten minutes. I roll my eyes and say, “Well, yes. We are graduating tomorrow. So what is the fuss all about?” Jennie gasps and her eyes grow wide, “what is the fuss all about? It’s one of the most important days of our lives! And I have absolutely no clue about what we should wear!” I laugh. Jennie is so obsessed with the way she looks. I spent the next fifteen minutes trying to calm her down. She eventually relaxed and sat down on her bed beside me. We’re having a regular conversation now, without much screaming. I try to tell that since we’ll be wearing graduation gowns it won’t really matter what we wear. But she disagreed. She says that it does. She did end up making me agree to all-white beneath the gown since it is black.

I knock on the door to Sawyer’s house. I’m a regular visitor and I usually don’t knock. But Sawyer now locks the door so I have to. I hear some hustle and a purr before Sawyer opens the door. His face lights up when he sees me and invites me in. I take my shoes off and walk straight to Oscar. Oscar is Sawyer’s cat. He bought him from the pet store last year and his first birthday just went by. I sit on the couch and Oscar jumps onto my lap. “Oscar really likes it when you’re around,” I hear Sawyer say as he closes the door again. I pet the kitten, which is now a young adult cat, as he purrs happily. Sawyer sits down next to me and kisses the side of my head. “So? How’re preparations for graduation tomorrow?” I raise an eyebrow, “you’re supposed to prepare for graduation?”

“Well, not really to be honest.” He grabs his neck with both arms as he stretches his back. “I was talking to Theo when you knocked, he was asking how the graduation ceremony commences.”

“Wasn’t he there for your graduation?”

“He was but I guess the whole vibe is different for the guests and the person graduating.”

“It doesn’t really seem like a big deal to me.”

“That’s because it isn’t. People just make it a big deal because it happens once but if you think about it; some people who do more than one degree, graduate more than once.”  He’s looking up at the ceiling. I like that he isn’t making graduation too big of a deal. He does have a point though. He puts his right arm around my back and pets Oscar, who is joyfully playing in my lap, with his left. I rest my head on his shoulder and we stay like that for a solid five minutes before my phone rings. It’s Sarah. Sarah usually doesn’t call me, it’s almost always my brother. I feel my stomach knot and I pick up. I immediately let out a sigh of relief when she told me that she just wanted me to pick her up from the hospital since William was at work. I was worried for nothing. “I’ve got to go, Sarah wants me to pick her and Aksh up from the hospital. Aksh just had his check-up,” I say to Sawyer as I hand Oscar to him. We get up and Sawyer pulls me in and gives me a kiss, Oscar still in one arm. I kiss him back for a second and then pull away. “Bye,” I whisper before I leave.

I find Sarah at the hospital gate with Aksh. Aksh is Sarah’s and William’s nine-month-old son and my nephew. They named him after my nickname, Akshi. “Thanks Akshi. I called William but he was busy at work,” Sarah says as she sits down in the front seat. “No problem, besides, I needed an excuse to see Aksh,” I stroke my thumb over Aksh’s cheek and he laughs. I smile and look at Sarah. She’s still a little chubby but just as beautiful as the day I met her. I drive her to her house and then drive by to my own. I walk in without knocking. I must say, ever since this circle of friends I’m in was formed the four of us have forgotten how to knock. We all find it annoying but bad habits die hard. I greet my mother and walk to my room. I decided to clean it today since I have nothing better to do.