San Diego Warming’

"Too many people piling up in your house, will be a tad too close for comfort!"

"No there will be just a few of us, our gang!" The hostess said, as she pressured her mind into thinking so far ahead.

"I can bring the tents besides the sleeping bag, too, if you insist." I offered.

"Sure!" The serious rejoinder showed the lines of concern on the smooth brow as the humor flipped out from her jumbled up brain. The trip to Paris at the time of Union strike, the luggage misplacement, the moving into the new house and consequently the havoc that followed were the unseen events from that point of departure. But at that time the extreme anticipation of teeming up with a great number of friends and their families and accommodating them in the house were not the surmountable worries.

Competing with Fourth of July fireworks, dumb down blockbuster movies and All-American Wimbledon and all day picnic tradition, the hostess managed to drag in a full house. Similarly, often overlooked populace created a remarkably street fair environment. The close encounters grew at the oncoming July 4th and the dire warning echoed, " people from Conejo Valley are coming!" in the same urgency that the locals pointed out "The British are coming," to the American colonists. The lionhearted hostess fiercely stood the onslaught of the several families like the first major engagement of Bunker Hill, the Revolution that cost the British many troops, and the hostess several weeks of major cleanup.
The July 4th coincided with the historical event of Declaration of Independence and the housewarming party. The open space fully utilized army base, San Diego steeped in conservatism and tux and tie, the monkey suit, transferred in the songs crooning on the entire local radio channel. Every radio channel to my taste, my fingers restlessly drummed at the memory of the L.A channels boasting of the new hip hop and youngsters rap that always put me on an edge as the reflex motion of the fingers tried to swirl out of the millenium the hard rock.
The freeways unclogged for an easy stress free ride to San Diego unlike the people who came the next day with an added two hours travel time.

We stopped at Costa Mesa for a last minute housewarming gift and tried inspiration from the dozen or so shops there but in the end the practical sense won over and bought an oscillating fan for the upcoming heat wave.

We entered the house to discover that the host and hostess had left for their errands that ended in an adventurous tall tale. The trunk door of the ML320 Mercedes left open dropped one be one of 24 bottles into the dark night smashing up the watermelon into a pulp. Nevertheless the plight of the soda bottles discovered, the driver after picking up her brother from the train station in San Diego turned on the full beam and their eyes to zoom in the sodas lying on the deserted streets and discovered a majority of the wayward soda bottles. Some of the bottles the host coming back from the sightseeing of the Indian reservation after guessing, a direct attribute to living with the same person in a wedding bliss, by sighting the Vons strewn plastic bags with full soda bottles that it must be his wife as Vons was her grocery stop.
Welcome reception of the whole family congregated in the upstairs living room merged into a political discussion based upon the facts gleaned from Internet, an easier and cheaper means of maintaining long distance communication. In retrospect, new medium can wreak its own peculiar havoc as the eager participants sit an hourly shift updating their pool of political knowledge and adding various military perspectives. The daily lesson of the spontaneous betrayals by the leader swallowed like a pill with major dislocating pain heightens in a live drama as the elders gather to candidly discuss the present situation from all angles.

"Against all odds approximately six hundred mojohideen quietly took over the vantage position at Tiger Hill vacated by Indian soldiers for winters."

Scratching the thatch of flyaway snow-white hair, the host's father, a retired cardiologist, known to present an appropriate poetic verse utilized to avoid serious confrontations, ice breaking and, also, mere entertainment purposes began the discussion uppermost on his mind.

The high cerebral force tended to focus on all angles of the political picture with great intensity. No discussion based upon on superficial fact would suffice. Already pushing to the boundaries of civilized interaction as an expatriate status.

"While the long-term prognosis is far from certain, yet, at this earlier stage but one thing is clear: Pakistan is beating the hell out of the Indian soldiers. Indians modus operands over a span of a whole decade of suppressing insurgencies in Kashmir, struggling for independence, by maiming the male population and raping the females halted abruptly. Sponsored by the United Nations alias America, Pakistan is forced to take the initiative of owning up the act of war criminality in training and supporting the insurgents.
One size fits all formula of suppressing all opposition, or challenging rhetoric applies in India as well. "The legitimacy of the Dawn newspaper is so legitimate that India closed its web site reflecting the credibility plus the fact that India is scared."

"Potential payoff IMF loans makes Sharif drool all over the White House."

"Yes if rejected he fears that it would put him out of the business and leave them with no way to feed their desires for free summer holidays in America."

Nawaz Sharif the democratically chosen leader crawled up for the instanious communication. A potential economic benefit, Pakistani premier salutes to the American royalty.

Indian and Pakistan cross border animosity spilled over in the comforting leisure of the family room. Unanimously the patriots voted to oust the intruders. The dire consequences of the ethnic squabble taking the form of a food fight frightened the hostess into breaking up the high testosterone debate.
"Make sure that nobody mentions the deal in the presence of Indians especially Hindus and Sikh so cordially invited to the party." The stern reminder taxed the patriotic flames into a subdued simmer.

Regardless, the host senior aggressively pursue the subject so dear to him said,
"It's a great accomplishment. A miracle that 6 hundred soldiers to conquer the peak, is a geographical advantage, that a whole Pakistani army of five million couldn't conquer for decades." A boost to the patriotic expatriate zeal, no doubt, computers provided credibility on fingertips.

"What do you think will happen now?" the question repeated several times acquired an urgency of its own.

"Body bags coming, Indians are fighting a losing battle."

"Their estimate is never accurate."

"Thus the impression of their mathematical genius proves false." Gleefully the excitement at wining the geographical advantage heightens. A new emotion, so unfamiliar creates havoc in the participants.

Quoting one of the military strategists, the speaker adds his intellectual credibility to the point, " Pakistan will not bend to the Indian demands."
"It's the first of its kind of invasion by the freedom fighters." A reason to celebrate a kind of July 4 Independence."

The senior host mind whirring out the possibilities, tried to assuage the downside, " What if we cannot meet the demands? Considering how bad the politicians are in politics. Or what if we cannot tolerate all the stays and a decent respect for human life. What if proves to brings no solution and is just a foolish maneuver." What if Pakistan abandons the freedom fighters?" with so many thought provoking downsides clashed with the over optimistic young man's enthusiastic cry for war, "It's a win = win situation. We cannot stand and watch the inhumane treatment of Kashmiris for so long. India can now taste their own medicine."

Somewhat the high exuberant of the Yankee pioneer rubbed off and the pessimism dimmed

"The Mojahideens are using their ammo to kill them."

"The road leading to the cantonment is an easy target from where they are situate."

The intensity increased and so did the fears of what will happen in the future.
"The latest news that Sharif is coming to Washington D.C. is innerving."
"Bend on all fours he'll sell out."

"The reason why he retired the Commander In Chief of the army Jehangir Karmat was that in the public he said that 'if the country cannot keep the internal politics the borders will never be safe.' Sharif's frail ego bruised he picked up the junior officer superseded him four positions and made him the big huncho."

"He doesn't wag his tail now, either."

"At present Pakistan military produces the most leaders with most developed strategic skills." The excited discussion continued until the wee hours of the morning.

Unlike the men in my family whose discussions starred them at the center of the story. Any mention of the worldly affairs resulted in dense network of visual effects convened into energetic hand motion and bright red faces from the hiked up the blood pressures to dangerous levels.

The clubhouse besides the lake with a row of boats tied to the quay ready to sail through the sunset made a good panoramic camera setting. The environment cut loose from the extremely classical and seemingly lengthy singing session to a rock and roll and Grease Lightning, generated tremendous applause and sparked an uncontrolled frenzy cheered by the audience of all sizes and ages except a few frowning hard-liners. The lead performer's versatility into managing the delirious loosening up of the majority into fast paced disco style Punjabi songs and then back to the soul searching solemnity of the classics absolutely floored us.

"I'll be grateful if the little ones clear up the floor so that we could continue with more of the entertainment." The jumping bouncing, rolling midgets removed, the acoustic rich hall bounced the great notes to the right music.
Unfortunately, the team of caterers led by a Sikh patriarch arrived upset for not following the directions that took half an hour on the phone to relay, after all the marginal population of Sikh's harebrain is the butt of most Subcontinent jokes, the only caterer in the area brought a dinner half cooked but the oven baked bread melted deliciously in the mouth.

"It's a pleasure to see my sister gather such a nice bunch of friends." The lady said, her eyes moistened. The families visiting from back home relished the opportunity to peak inside the not so sedate lives of their American branch of the family.

Increasingly skeptical at the dim prospects of his younger brother's growing ease on the stage with the mike, the older brother rushed in to take the mike away from his possessive hold and breathed in, "Now that my brother spoke in Urdu what the rest might not understand, I welcome the English speaking guests." The ESL responsibilities over, the two animated brothers equaled only by their desire to put on a memorable show, reluctantly went back to their designated seats so that the singer could inaugurate the show.

The female singer debuting for the first time with the main singer didn't cut out a pleasing site. Pudgy with jet black shoulder length hair puffed around her in an irritating halo and a nervous twang to the first song didn't thrill the audience.

"I hope she doesn't spoil the show," the audience whispered. "What happened to the regular female partner."

"Was she good?"

"The dimpled up, smiling, coquettish singer even without singing would have a large captured audience." The hostess said dryly as she sat down for serious singing.

The fight for the spotlight followed at interesting intervals. The poetic verses filtered out in a gusher as the both brothers in their zeal not to be overshadowed by the other held up brilliantly and besides providing entertainment proved to be an icebreaker. "I tried to make sure that the brother doesn't go wayward with his welcome." The junior brother instead said, "I just wanted to senior brother from going out of control." While the turbaned bearded gentlemen took over the gentle art of bhangra dancing.
The little girls swished and jumped up and down for a series of songs until the lead singer put an end to the fun for all kids entertainment, and requested for calm and quiet essential for serious classical singing.

"Excuse me, but this is a reserved seat." Said a nine-year-old girl to the Auntie who plopped down on one of the fiercely guarded three front row chairs. "Sorry, too bad." The auntie 'grred' a reply.

"But that was my friend's," stuttered the poor girl.

"In Pakistan, the kids won't even dare to talk back like that. It's outrageous." The eyes flashing red the auntie refused to budge.

The overeager ambitious and extremely fun loving gentleman tried to recruit a band of dancers but found a gullible few that did manage to gear shift a great entertainment. "Listen kids we need a few volunteers to band up a performance." As if the competition is not fierce enough, he says, "besides it'll be fun. So who will be a good guy and volunteer." The expectation dripping, the eyes seriously observe the jumble of kids interrupted in the middle of the soda can game, a creation by an original or a result of desperation. "Yes, I'll." A hand raised, the enthusiastic twelve-year-old stepped forward and then stopped short as the rest of the boys went back to playing their game.

Fresh flowers bouquet, the perfumed flower candles and the leftover food collected and the tables and chairs folded and stacked the bandwagon of out of town guest planned to go zig zag through the labyrinth of streets to the house for night accommodation. "Follow us. You will reach to the destination." Old and young line up the cars for the way home.

Over 4,000 sq. foot houses the population of fifty plus people of all sizes and ages convened for a slumber party. "Go down. Tuck and roll out of the way." The slogan spawned the dozen and more children and adults teemed up into a band of good friends and went to sleep.

The bright blue lens middle age nanny with a heavy accent and full-blown flaming shade of hair out of the box, laden with the heaviest cosmetic bag, cornered up the premium location by the side of the bed, on the floor. Brushing clean the sharp teeth with the sonic electric brush, she hoarded up the precious stack of linens and blankets but in an oversight forgot to stake a visible claim like a post saying "I've conquered the moon, and this part is mine, forever," further aggravated her situation by coming late past any reasonable human time to sleep, and demanded her piece of the pie. A Moujihideen in the bunkers she tried to attack a showdown.

"Wake her up. We are supposed to sleep here and not this person." The emphatic tone prepared to take action against the innocent sleeper tore through the thin night air merging into morning. " I stacked up the blankets, everything where did it go?" wringing hands and wrinkled face her voice told of a hardship so bad. Obviously unfamiliar with the protocol of courtesy from her point of origin, she relentlessly whining the loudest insisted to wake up the rest of the tired public. At an obvious stalemate her employer, energetically suggested a solution as the courtesy demanded and indicated another vacant spot for the nanny in distress.

"Your cousin helped so much. I am very impressed." An uncle impressed by the thirteen-year-old guest from Pakistan said.

"What about me, I helped too." Competing, said emphatically the twelve-year-old American born as he raised his hand.

"Well you don't have a choice but to work. In the case of a Pakistani esp. a guest they have choices, son." Speechless the son thumped on the pillow supposed to be shared by several heads and tugged at a blanket over several pairs of legs. The living room adjoining the kitchen with the dishwasher on the gents washed dishes till the wee hours of the morning and woke up disoriented and confused.

The morning lit up brightly the kaleidoscope hues of the classical Greek archaic style pillars, the spiral fenced staircase running towards the intricately laced gazebo, sparkling qua of the pool, and the bubbling lion heads water fountain into a paradise bliss. The house seized by the guests, the hostess obediently spun off a variety of breakfast items continental and ethnic. The basket filled with muffins, bread and jelly and large pot filled meat stew, nihari, and a gourmet fare proved to be the favorite of the connoisseurs.

The breakfast served the kids jumped into the pool and then played basketball while the adults ate several times the several courses of several kinds of dishes.

The host fitted in shape shifting scuba outfit practiced for his five day scuba diving experience in Kobe, Mexico while the elder gentry quizzed bridge diagrams from the morning daily and exchanged the hot off the computer screen the latest commentary upon the six hundred Moujiheedeen on the Tiger Hill. July 4th weekend enjoyed to the full extent we left to recuperate at our leisure and let the hostess resume the process of moving and furnishing their beautiful replica of a Scottish castle to "an island for themselves."