This Twitter Thread Discusses What It’s Like To Be Sick In A Desi Household. It Is Extremely Relatable And Hilarious
I grew up at a time when watching movies like High School Musical, Cheetah Girls and Freaky Friday was a trend. And as a 14-year-old girl watching Lindsay Lohan character turn into her mother, I started to realise that, when it comes to children there are a lot of things brown families do differently than other parts of the world. There were so many times I wished that my parents would just be as lenient as the parents in those movies. I mean, my life would be smooth sailing.
But no, just like any other Indian child I grew up in a house where 20 questions is not just a game but a norm. Even if I am doing something as simple as having a telephonic conversation with a friend, my mother has a thousand questions. Who were you talking to? What did they say? Why are they calling you so late? Where are they working now? And apparently answering those with, “I am 23 years old and I don’t need to inform you of my every move” is like putting your foot in a lion’s mouth.
I think we have established growing up in a desi household is no picnic. There are a few things that happen in every brown household and when I think about those now, it just feels ridiculous. For instance, did your parents ever think you were faking being sick to get out of school or some other commitment? Or assume you were doing fine all of a sudden because you cracked a smile or answered a phone call?
It happened to me all the time. Once I had a math test in school but my stomach was killing me (no, I wasn’t lying this time). My mother let me skip school and sleep for a little bit and then when I woke up I told her I wanted lunch and she took that to mean that I was never sick and made up the whole thing to get out of giving the test. Because how can you feel hungry when you have an upset stomach, right? She gave me lunch, called my principal and took me to school. They made me take the math test in the library all by myself. Of course, I failed. Although to be fair, I wouldn’t have passed even if I didn’t have a stomach ache. I just don’t understand trigonometry, it’s not the end of the world.
I just realised you didn’t ask to hear about my sad childhood. But hey, we all desi kids have very similar stories I am sure it’s always fun to relate, isn’t it? I just don’t think desi parents understand that children fall sick too. If I tell my mother I can’t eat because I feel sick she tells me you vomit if you have to, but you got to eat. Why?! If you don’t have a similar story or you can’t relate to mine, either your parents really really love you or you weren’t born into a desi household
Also, this lockdown has taught me that having a headache is no reason to not wash vessels. What is that about? Why would I fake a headache on one day to get out of chore I have been doing for 5 months? Seriously, sometimes parents really outdo themselves.
Anyway, the reason I am rambling about this is that, in the latest trend, people on Twitter are discussing how it is to be sick in an ethnic household. Trust me, I haven’t related to anything so much in a while.
Also Read: #Trending: Netizens Are Sharing Various Indirect Ways Desi Parents Use To Apologise Instead Of Saying Sorry. We Can Relate
Check out the tweets:
https://twitter.com/dugsi_dropout/status/1290328724211216384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1290328724211216384%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.storypick.com%2Fbeing-sick-in-desi-households%2F
Also, if you touch your phone or ask for more food. https://t.co/woAihUMhCV
— bbygrl. (@tolaniiee) August 5, 2020
Or show any form of happiness. https://t.co/FsJf0Klj4v
— ALEXIS 💋 (@Thatx_oOneGirl) August 5, 2020
https://twitter.com/itsscaat/status/1290973631460384774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1290973631460384774%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.storypick.com%2Fbeing-sick-in-desi-households%2F
Add: if you are not dead, you are not sick. https://t.co/5ZR5ZS9Yd2
— Nqobile (@Lloonar) August 5, 2020
"mama I'm not feeling well"
My mom: did you puke? Do you have a fever? No? You're not sick go to school https://t.co/nUJtCvIQQd— latifah🌻 (@sunshinelati) August 5, 2020
Turn that laugh into a cough if you smart https://t.co/K0FjEVfQJ8
— The Great Cornholio (@lucasbigsby) August 5, 2020
I was in hospital for concussion. My friend was there and made me giggle. My mum said “Oya get up let’s go home” https://t.co/NgcwdStMw5
— 💕 (@_shonao) August 5, 2020
https://twitter.com/AlandriaMoore/status/1290955859468705793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1290955859468705793%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.storypick.com%2Fbeing-sick-in-desi-households%2F
“The hell you laughing for? You supposed to be sick. Ain’t shit funny when you sick” 😂 https://t.co/61xSO8CXCN
— faith fucked my husband (@JessxRaine) August 5, 2020
OR IF YOU’RE USING YOUR FUCKING PHONE!!!!! mom really said you on the phone all the time but can’t go to school today? like girl im using my thumbs and my eyes https://t.co/4Hp6vQJnAg
— kayla🧸 (@nightmaredrink) August 5, 2020
"So you can laugh it means you've healed, go wash them dishes" https://t.co/R04JOVwMGX
— Don Julia 🧚♀️ (@Zinhle_Gothi) August 5, 2020
https://twitter.com/Stah8nToker/status/1290930007632748544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1290930007632748544%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.storypick.com%2Fbeing-sick-in-desi-households%2F
“oh so you’re too sick to get out of bed and help around the house but not too sick to get off that phone? you’re fine do the dishes”
—my mom after one giggle https://t.co/eLkat6hRXN— 𓆏𓆏𓆏 (@dannieprobbly) August 5, 2020
Lmfaooooo I FaceTimed my dad today saying how I was sick & he said something funny so I started laughing & he goes “ahhh real sick aye, pants on fire” 😑😂 I don’t even live at home or go to school anymore so idk why he would think I need to lie about that lol
— Baileigh (@BaileighTalulah) August 5, 2020
Okay, I agree that one of the reasons our parents never believed us was because we cried wolf too many times. But hey, they gotta have some faith in us.
Anyway, this Twitter thread is so hilarious!
https://thehauterfly.com/relationships/pros-and-cons-of-moving-out-of-your-parents-home/
