Uppappan's daughter
I'm a Malayali but this isn't the Malayalam I speak | Part III
‘I'm a Malayali but this isn't the Malayalam I speak’ is a series of three posts (as of now) where I write about a few personal experiences that mainly highlight the difference between the formal Malayalam language and the dialects or colloquial versions used in different regions of Kerala.
You can read the first and second parts here: Part I | Part II
For a long time, I wasn’t attending any kind of family event. There was no particular reason; I just didn’t feel like attending one.
A few months ago, I met a relative of mine whom I couldn't recognise at first, and she kindly advised me that I should attend family events as it's a chance to meet everyone in one place. After pondering over that advice, I realised she had a point. And that’s how, a couple of months ago, I decided to attend a family function that was held in a different district than where I was from.
I hadn’t attended a family function in a decade, and as I stood there, looking at my cousins, I couldn't help but contemplate how everything used to be so much fun when we were kids. Now, each of us has our own thing going on in our lives. Just then, a lady popped up out of nowhere.
Seeing my confused face, she asked me whether I’m Joji’s Uppappan’s daughter. Joji is my cousin.
I didn't know what kind of relationship the name ‘Uppappan’ referred to. It wouldn’t be nice to google Uppappan right then, especially since I would have to take out my phone from my pocket. Plus, it would be embarrassing to ask who Uppappan was, especially as an adult. Usually, during family functions, my cousins would answer all the out-of-syllabus questions for me. But, at that moment, I was standing there alone.
As she mentioned my cousin’s name, I thought of explaining my relationship with my cousin.
Even before I could finish my explanation, she provided a detailed explanation.
She should have given me the detailed explanation at first so I didn’t have to go through that awkward situation.
Uppappan (noun): Father’s younger brother.