When there is someone who asks my son ‘Hi! How are you?’,
almost always would get a prompt reply – “I am good thank you, how are you.” Yes
he says it as a sentence and not as a question, because I am dead sure he doesn’t
care how the other person is. And more over he is has just been taught to be
polite and respond, but doesn’t really care about the emotions going with it.
Well, as rehearsed as he may sound, I really wonder who cares anyway!
This reminds me of a time when my granny was staying at my Kaka’s place. Just for the sake of my writing, lets say An is my kaka (uncle) and my
granny’s son, Jy is An’s wife and Sh is their son. Someone, lets say Xz called
up my granny to just chit chat and this is how the conversation went :
Xz : Hello granny how are you?
Granny : Araam…all well
Xz : How is An and family?
Granny : all well
Xz : So how is your leg pain now?
Granny : Ya its there, it has increased a lot now…getting
very difficult to stand up, sit down and all. And because of the cold these
days, its even worse.
Xz : Oho…hope you will be fine soon….so what else?
Granny : Everything else is fine.. (My granny has the habit
of saying this, and she never says ‘nothing else’, she will always say ‘everything
is fine’ for the question ‘what else?’)
Xz : Ok…so you said it is getting very cold these days…take
care
Granny : Ya…lil Sh(who is not little anymore) is down with
flu….cant help winter season started na. He hasn’t gone to school for 2 days…looks
like he will not go this whole week only.
Xz : Oh….really…that’s sad…hope he gets well soon. How is An’s
work going on?
Granny : Ya year end time for him, so work is really hectic,
but he also couldn’t go to office due to terrible headache and vomiting accompanied
with that…He has some temperature also. Doctor thinks he has food poisoning; maybe
he ate something in hotel for lunch that has got his stomach upset.
Xz : Ayyo…but why he ate in hotel? Is his wife not at home?
Granny : Oh no actually Jy was admitted in hospital and was
put on drips as she had weakness. She was fainting and all.
Xz : Oh god…hope she gets well soon too.
Granny : Hmm
Xz : So…what else?
Granny : Everything is well…
And so a conversation that started as “everything is well”…ended
as “everything is well” too.
We still have fits of laughter when we my uncle narrates
this to us and says “We were the only people in the house, and all of us were
not feeling well, but still it starts and ends this way!”
But if you just answer, “Not very well” to the person
who asked you “How are you?” what would the reactions be?
I tried with a few :
Cashier at supermarket counter : “How are you?”
Me : “Not very well”
Cashier : “I know right, its terribly hot outside today!” (I like it
when someone thinks their problems are universal!)
My mom : “How are you?”
Me : “Not very well”
Mom : Do some exercise, do some
dieting (moms always care)
My so called friend : “How are you?”
Me : “Not very well”
My so called friend : “Can you call me later? I am in office”
My hubby back from work : “How are you?”
Me : “Not very well”
My hubby : “Oh internet not working today?”
My son : “How are you?”
Me : “Not very well”
My son : “Can I eat chocolate now?”
So.....How are you?
