A Casual Conversation

In our busy lives sometimes it gets hard for us to find time to slow down and remember those conversations that really changed our perspectives and altered our way towards life. Meeting a musician, an engineer, a banker or even a teacher can account for different stories and experiences each time we get a chance to interact with them and understand their point of views about life. Some casual conversations that begin while having a good time can sometimes turn into heavy, meaningful exchange of words, whereas an intentional attempt at having a deep conversation might lead you to a dead end.

So, a couple of days ago I spoke to a friend who is still studying and lives at the university village in Sydney.

When I called her on FaceTime, she was baking a cake. A French vanilla cheesecake. I was surprised. She had never cooked or baked anything before. It seemed pretty entertaining.

While the timer was still on, she sat on the couch in the common area and showed me the view of the much loved village. I had almost forgotten the feeling of being in a place that was as peaceful as a monastery in the day and as crazy as a university accommodation is supposed to be through the evenings. Weekends were exceptional. Day or night, didn’t matter!

The sight reminded me of a memory I could never forget.

Casually over a cup of coffee, I once had a very deep conversation with my apartment mate and a neighbour. They both were my seniors and had already been through the struggle of figuring out the tricks and tips for doing laundry or buying groceries.

As we sat in the common room of our house in the village, rain started to rattle the roof and suddenly the sky turned grey at noon.

A perfect view of the lush green backyard with huge trees lined up in a row, towering the nearby apartments made you feel dearly close to nature. In the mean time, two little baby parrots flew in to find some shade. They snuggled each other under a red chair which was left outside by another house mate who sun bathed every morning while finishing up her assignments.

Peace and calm struck the room and with a spark I said, “how grateful we all must be for such a life altering experience our parents have graciously offered us to experience. No constraints, no exams.”

I still remember telling them, “this time is going to be the tonic for the rest of our lives.”

Four years later, I still stand strong by my words.

The amount of disappointments and set backs you go through may slow you down a bit but at the end it will be worth the chances you have taken for your own self. Pain and love will always be a part of the journey, think of it as a marble cake. Every bite will taste different!

The two baby parrots felt safe and desired to be left undisturbed till the rain mellowed. From a distance we saw someone running at a great speed, slipping, getting up, running again and soon was waving at us desperately. She was our housemate. The one who always seemed to be put together was struggling with the weather.

She sat on the red chair with a thud and scared the parrots away.

Soon after she put her washed wet laundry to dry and made herself a hot cup of tea, the rain disappeared. I saw anger in her eyes and smile on her lips.

As this flashback refreshed me, I swiftly regained attention to my friends words over the ongoing call. I acted and nodded in agreement of whatever she was saying. Then the timer for her cake went off.

“It’s perfect!” she exclaimed in excitement.

A causal conversation can kindle some thoughts that remind you of deeper realisations, intentional or not.

With this one, I didn’t get to taste any cake but was reinvigorated with my special tonic!