CC'ed!

A few years ago, when he was educating himself on computers, my Dad came across the concept of CC'ing an email. He was really excited.

"This means I can email you and send the same thing to your sister! At the same time! Isn't this great?" He asked.

"Yeah, Dad." I smiled to myself.

What I really wanted to say was, "Dad, you've been using the CC function for years now. You just did not know about it."

Here's the story:

I call home on a Sunday evening.

Dad picks up.

Sayesha - Hello, Dad! It's me. How are things?
Dad - Good! Good! What about you?
Sayesha - Great! Life's a mess right now. But otherwise great.
Dad - That's good.
Sayesha - So where's Mom?
Dad - Mom? She's in the kitchen. Busy.

Loud clang clang noise. 'Click' sound of Mom picking up the phone in the other room.

Mom - I am here, I am here! What do you mean 'busy in the kitchen'??
Sayesha - Hi, Mom!
Mom - Put the phone down!
Sayesha - Huh??
Mom - Not you! Your Dad! Put the phone down!
Dad - Why should I put the phone down??
Mom - Because I want to talk to my daughter.
Dad - Your daughter? She's my daughter too!
Mom - Yeah, but you can talk later.
Dad - Why don't you talk later?

I interrupt meekly.

Sayesha - Mom, Dad, I'm making an IDD call here...
Mom - See, now you're wasting her money!
Dad - I'm wasting her money??
Mom - Yes, yes, you are. Put the phone down. Let me talk to her.
Dad - I want to talk to her first. When she calls on Saturdays and I am at office, you get to talk to her. So I get to talk to her now.
Mom - Well, she can only call at her own convenience, isn't it?

And I listen, CC'ed in the conversation Mom and Dad are having.

Sayesha - Okay, instead of you guys talking to each other, why don't I talk, and the two of you just listen?
Dad (indignantly) - Okay.
Mom (indignantly) - Okay.
Sayesha - So what did you do in the weekend? Watched any new movies?
Mom - I wanted to, but your Dad doesn't want to watch Hindi movies.
Dad - That's because you only watch 'dhishum dhishum' movies.
Mom - What? No, I don't! Munnabhai was not a 'dhishum dhishum' movie!

And I listen, CC'ed in the conversation again, beginning to get impatient.

Sayesha - So are you going to talk to me at all today?
Mom - Oh, sorry!
Dad - Yes, yes, we want to talk to you.
Sayesha - Cool. So have you been exercising?
Mom - I have, I have! Three rounds on the terrace every morning.
Dad - That's not enough! You must come with me on my morning walk.
Mom - No, that tires me.
Dad - You're just lazy.
Mom - No, I am not! You're the one not taking care of your health!
Dad - What did I do??
Mom - What about the coke you drank yesterday?
Dad - I only tasted a little bit.
Mom - A little bit?? Yeah, right! And what about the cake you had?

Sayesha - Ok I'm gonna have to take matters into my hands now. This conversation is cute, but I am kinda running out of patience, and money on my phone card. So I am going to make this short. May I?
Mom & Dad - Errr... huh?
Sayesha - Dad, You've gotta cut down your sugar. Mom, you've gotta start those morning walks. And I've gotta go. Talk to you later, okie?
Mom & Dad - Okay. Bye! Call us next weekend, okay?

Sayesha (smiles to herself) - Yeah. I will.

I will.