2.9.05

Some things just don't change

For the nth time I watched Notting Hill. And it's amazing how that one line -- "I am just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her" --never ceases to make me misty-eyed. The seasons changing as William Thacker walks down to his book shop, the park where June sat along with Joseph, Anna Scott signing an autograph saying, Dear Rufus you belong in jail, ...it's all so perfectly done. At the end of it I was sighing and messaging E. Predictably she was watching it too in her hotel room in Bombay. She finally called me and for the nth time we had this why-doesn't-it-happen-to-us conversation. E said she wouldn't mind a film star. "After all, when you are asking, ask for something big," she said before the line got disconnected.

The last few days have been a throwback to my crazy spending-the-night-on-the-porch-and-stair days in the previous two houses (I used to forget my keys regularly). The day before, I reached home early. Like really early. At 6.30 pm. I was so happy, I went and chatted with the owner of the Pop Tate's clone right opposite my place. It has fab sandwiches and its owner is a sweet old man with a curiously trimmed moustache. Now how do I describe it? It is white and is trimmed and levelled into a straight line much above his lips. So there is a broad expanse of skin between his lips and moustache. Frankly I have seen all kinds of moustaches - a lion moustache, a mouse moustache...but not one like his. Anyways after he had made me buy a packet of methi paras (somewhat like matthris), I reached home feeling happy for no reason.

Then I dug my hands inside my bag. My happiness vanished in a trice. I had no keys.

Frantically I called up S. The only solution we came up with was for me to go all the way to her office to collect the keys. Rare moments when I hate myself. By the time I returned home, it was almost 9. One nice evening wasted after what?
A key.

But I guess I have faced worse times. Like when I was in the first house and in my second job, I would frequently forget my key inside the house. So it was not an unusual sight for me to take the drop back to office at 1.30 at night. The drop organisers would look at me getting down from the car and smile, "Madam has forgotten her keys again?" Once I didn't even check my bag till after I reached the door and my colleague had dropped me following an office party. So on a very brrr winter's night, a very drunk me was sitting on the stairs dying to pee and get under the covers of a warm bed. That morning I saw the right hand side neighbour's waking up habits. He would get up at 5 in the morning, do some yoga stretches and burp loudly.

The other time E returned from office to find me walking in the park at 2 am. It was not a very wise thing to do I know. But did I have any choice besides sitting on the stairs and die of mosquitoe bites?
No.

I have tried to come up with ingenuous ways of never forgetting the key. Like putting it into a chain around my neck. Somehow it has not worked till now. Think will have to give it a shot. Sigh.

22 comments:

Rat said...

Make like 3 extra ones and keep them in your bag and keep "re-stocking" so any point there is always atleast one key in your bag.

n.g. said...

the best scene in nottinghill was when hugh grant takes julia r to his sisters, was it? and his brother or someone asks her, so what do you do for a living? she says she's in the movies and he's like 'thats splendid. well done. how much did you make on your last job?' and she says with a perfectly straight face '20 million dollars.' he's like 'oh. right then.'

Anonymous said...

Rat: Now that's not a bad idea. But you see I already have E's key that is lying somewhere. OK. Step 1 - I fish it out. Poor lazy me.

nish: Yeah that too. I just loved his face and hers during the conversation.

mad angles said...

You also attached your keys to this humungous key chain - one of those toys from finding nemo and u said that it was so cute that you could never forget to take it. And of course, the next day itself, you promptly did just that!

sinusoidally said...

Came across your blog...After being locked out a couple of times I came up with this plan: I attach my key chain with home keys with the key chain of my car keys. Whenever I drive from home or to home for anywhere I know I will always be able to get in.

Urmea said...

Get a number lock on the door :-P
(I feel your pain - I have done it multiple times including once 2 hours before a flight - uff - but having roomies saved me - not any more though)

shyam said...

Yes, I know the problem with the keys only too well. Once I'd even gone into a flying rage after not being able to find them and guess where they were kept? Rolled up in my shirt sleeve so that I would not 'forget' them. Duh!

Over time I've come up with the solution to keep everthing that I need in one place (tiny organiser, wallet, house keys, car/bike keys, cellphone and USB drive (yeah, call me a geek if you want to)) so that I can pick up all of them without having to remember each individually. Worst thing is that I won't even know if I'd forgotten something.

BTW, Spike from NH is one of my role models in life, after Wile Coyote and Lyle from Animal Crackers.

Mint Chutney said...

um...(in a meek voice)..I've never seen Notting Hill. I will now officially move it up on my Must See List.

I think you should design a nice necklace with your key. It will be such a fashion statement.

Anonymous said...

Gosh I have so many suggestions!

Essar: You remember. I didn't:) I still have Corey.

Parna: With so many options I couldn't really go wrong ha?

Sinusoidally: Hi. Thank god I don't drive a car. Or I would be perpetually locked out of it.

Urmea: Oh yeah? The airport one sounds scary. Welcome soulmate:)

Codey: Spike is your role model! Eeeeks. So what all do you do...hmmm?

The shirt sleeve is a nice one. But what if you unroll your sleeves and you happen to be in the loo and it gets flushed down?

Mint: (in an equally timid voice) I can give you competition. I haven't seen the Gladiator or Four Weddings and a Funeral. I can come up with a host of such names:)

shyam said...

Oh, the bit where he is clicked by the fotugrafers is something I need to emulate. He's ma hero!

Anonymous said...

Codey: Pretty ambitious I must say;)

shyam said...

Naah, I just don't have to try too hard for that.

I am a natural :)

Penny Lane said...

I looooove that Elvis Costello song 'She' in Notting Hill... and that crazy roommate guy and Hugh Grant is always awesome drool material... But Julia Roberts pissed me off in that movie, not sure why!

Anonymous said...

Penny: She did? Why? I just Hugh Grant's accent. So british and nice. Especially when he says 'bugger off' in this movie 'About a Boy'

Vignesh said...

I managed to misplace my parents' house keys in Muscat, en route from Dubai. And two days late, I lost his car keys. It was very scary to see my dad laugh, cold murder staring through his eyes.

And see how nicely I brought out the Oman connections ? :)

And yes, as much as I hate to admit it, Notting Hill is probably the ONLY Hugh Grant movie I can stand.

Anonymous said...

Vignesh: 'And see how nicely I brought out the Oman connections?'

You boast!:)

Arjun said...

I'm bad at keys, too. Guess the best way is to hang it on an expensive keychain that you just cannot afford to forget.
Never worked for me, though! ;)

Anonymous said...

couchpotato: Bet you it wouldn't work for me at all. So your exam's over?

nothing said...

Damn, I feel the same way about NH myself. Not a mushy movie person, mind- what would that do to my pseudo-intellectual tag after all? But there must've been umpteen times when I've quickly glanced either ways, made sure no one was watching, and put on.yep..you guessed it. The fact that I do voice and accent and stuff for sundry call centres here does help- everytime I'm supposed to play a "brit" movie (and even at times when I'm not), I put this one on. For me, the highlights are the "surreal, but nice" bit, and the dinner party. Sorry for long comment. Have now been inspired to post on the movie. Will do so and link to this post.

the cowlick said...

The scene I like the best in Nottinghill is the last one.. where they're sitting on a bench in a park.. and he's reading his book, while she has her head on his lap and she's her hand on her tummy.. it's amazing.. v nice blog.

AB said...

Kaashyapeya: Ya that surreal bit was damn good too. Ya do write one. It would be good to read something on NH anytime:)

the cowlick: Thanks. But one thing I have always wondered about is whether the kids running around in the park at the end is Thacker's kid the red haired one his sister's.

Jay said...

Tie your keys to your mobile phone and your wallet. That way you'll never forget it.

Then again, if you do you'd be really, REALLY screwed.