from Eastern Eye
Postcards from the edge of reality – a confidential Trickbaby document
Tuesday
I’m on my way back to London – stood on Huddersfield’s station
platform with a bag full of keema parathas and some magic pakora mix my Dad
bought me. Lo and behold who do I bump into but Sunita – from sixth
form . First thing she asked was if I was married – I hate that - straight
for the jugular. In carriage D I bumped into the High Priestess of Shaka-Laka
herself - Priya Kalidas looking far too glamorous for a train ride. I stopped
for a chat – she’s filming a dark medical drama for the BBC and
is perfect for a little idea I’ve been working on so we swapped numbers.
Barely beyond Grantham and already 2 hook ups.
Wednesday
Hook up 3. Back to a stack of e-mails – one from my University pal Jas
the Jat. He’d seen me in some mag out in Toronto and tracked me down
via the website to remind me of the time we formed a band (me on backing vocals
and tambourine) singing filmy classics to the poor Asian Society. His catch
phrase was “Gundhi kookri gundha unda”. Hook up 4 however…some
bloke (more flicker than flame). Years after he trod on my tender young heart
there he is sitting in my inbox telling me about his 7 kids and perfect life
while I’m still “rockin and a rollin and a what not” and
get this - straight for the jugular he asks if I’m married. I phoned
my friend Hina - she told me to get over it.
Thursday
When I was at college there was this timid boy - fresh from Pakistan –
bit of a dreamer. I never spoke to him but he was always watching everyone.
So today I’m walking down Camden High Street and there he is –
I shout out “Huddersfield Boy” - he stops – I can’t
remember his name – he remembers mine. Nadeem Aslam – wrote a
book a few years ago that won literary awards and is about to publish his
second novel through Faber and Faber called “Maps for lost lovers”.
( I got home and “googled” him straight away). There he was this
literary genius sat a radiator away from me all those break times and I never
let on to him. I told him Trickbaby would definitely be up for doing the movie
score (coz every good book gets made into a film right). If you know me from
school, Bharata Naatyam classes or from when I worked at Wimpy think twice
before e-mailing me at saira@trickbabymusic.com
and in case there’s any confusion I’m not bloody married.
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