"Okay, let's see", I said as I tried to remember each of the members I was introduced to.
So the eldest should be her grandmom. And that's why I started looking for her. If I'm not wrong she has silver gray hair hair and she's quite old.
"Hello grandmom", I said as I noticed her sitting beside Lam's mom.
"Hello son. So, finally we met", she said giving a glance that made me feel a little bit at ease.
"That's right. 1 point for you. Now go on...." Lam's cousin sister Joe said.
Next I pointed towards mom and dad, I mean Lam's mom and dad. I am gonna call them mom dad since that's what they'll be to me after the wedding. Dad is sitting next to his brother, I'm guessing. And mom's sitting next to grandmom.
"Dad, mom.. Good morning. Hope you guys ain't jet lagged anymore", I said to them as I was thinking of what to say.
"Yes son, we feel much better now", her mom replied.
"Good morning", her dad replied.
"Hold on, let me stop you there.... You haven't married her yet so technically they aren't your mom and dad yet", Joe said intrupting me, in a very teased voice.
"Joe!!" a woman in her late 40s glared at her which made her roll her eyes but she did shut her mouth as well.
And the glare that the woman gave is the glare that the mothers throw at their children when they do something inappropriate or something that they aren't meant to do. Which hinted me that this woman could be Lam's elder auntie. And as I looked even closer, I recognized her. It's the woman Lam had introduced as her elder auntie indeed.
"It's okay son, you can address them in whatever way you want", her elder auntie said to me in a rather gentle tone.
"Thank you auntie. And if I'm not wrong you are Disha's elder auntie, right?" I asked politely in spite of knowing the answer clearly.
"Yeah, you are right about that. Nice to meet you son", she replied with a pleased smile.
"Nice to meet you too auntie", I replied, again very politely.
As I was looking around the room to search for another face that I was introduced to that day, my eyes met with hers..... Lam's. She's giving me a look that's sort of a combination of disbelief and surprise. Could it be because I addressed her as Disha? It can be a reason though!!! After all this is the very first time I've addressed her by that name. So far I've only denied it, almost as if that name doesn't matter when it comes to her. Like it's not her name at all.
Anyways I shifted my gaze from her and I found her sisters. Draya and Natasha. They are standing next to each other like that time. If I'm not wrong Draya is the one who's wearing a regular glass and she's fairer than Natasha. Her dress is quite conservative. On the other hand there's Natasha, she also wears glass but her glass is different, with quite a type of style attached to it. Both of them are almost of same height . But her fashion sense in quite rich.
I pointed towards her sisters and respectly called out their names. Both of them greeted me so did I. I remember Lam has a brother, Mason. I'm actually looking for him, he's my only brother-in-law after all. But he's nowhere to be found. And then I saw her uncles and aunties. I greeted them. I then noticed her second auntie. She looks sort of like her second auntie. How come I didn't notice her before...??
"Hello auntie!! I remember you. Disha looks so much like you".
"Right? You know when she was young and I used to take her out for her vaccination, everyone used to assume that she's my daughter", her auntie said with a laugh.
Okay, so that's pretty much everyone I was introduced to that day. I can't seem to remember anyone else from here.
"Where's Mason?" I asked just in order to let them know that I remember him as well.
"He is outside.... Running an errand. He'll be here soon", Lam said as she came and stood next to me.
"Joe, how about I introduce him with everyone now?" she asked Joe as she looked at her. But there was this firm look in her eyes that I really loved.
"He didn't call out our name", Joe complained.
"We've had already talked earlier", Matthew informed.
"Okay fine.... I'll let you off the hook now", she said with a pout. And after that her attitude changed almost instantly as she introduced herself with the brightest smile I've seen on her so far, "I'm Joey by the way. You can call me Joe.Sorry for so far.... She's younger than me after all and so by relationship you are younger than me as well. So I figured.... Anyways, you pass.... Nice to meet you my soon to be brother-in-law".
"Should I just introduce him with rest of the family?" Lam asked looking at Joe sideways.
"Okay", Joe replied with a smile and claimed her place next to her husband, interlocking her arm around Matthew.
"Okay, so Raidan I'll be using a few pronouns here that I'll want you to remember for rest of your life, okay?" she said in a serious tone.
"Okay. Go on.." I replied. I don't know why but no matter how hard I try to see it as a normal thing but Lam seems really different today, even since our that conversation. She seems, upset or sad, no the right word would be 'gloomy'.
"Okay, so mom and dad will be mom and dad. Grandmom will be referred as 'Dadu', my father's sisters will be referred as 'Fuffi', and brothers will be 'Chaccu'. My fuffies husbands will be referred as 'Fuffa', and chaccus wives will be referred as 'Chachima'. Are we clear so far?" she asked, her tone is little off.
"Yeah", I replied. We're still with her family so I don't want to create a scene in front of them and that's why I'm not asking her anything.
"Okay, now my mom's side. We'll call my mom's sister as 'khalamoni', and her brothers as 'Mama'. My nanan and pops will be referred as 'Nanu and Nanavai'. Even though I don't have nanu and nanavai anymore but still you should know. Okay so my mamas wives will be referred as 'Mami', and my khalamoni's husband will also be referred as 'Mama" okay? Are we clear?"
"Yeah".
"Good, so the man you see sitting on the sofa, wearing a black shirt, next to my choto chaccu, around 65 years old is my boro chaccu. And the women who just took seat next to my dadu is my boro chachima".
"Hello. Nice to meet you both", I quickly greeted them as she was done with introducing them with me.