Wonky House

So I found a you-tube tutorial on painting wonky houses and I made this picture as my bad art of the day. It reminded me of that house you all rented in the first year at UMN. I could not remember the house number so I sent this picture to Rajiv and Raktim and they each immediately replied with the address and photos of the ‘815’ house. It’s still there. What a crazy place it was. 

The shower was in the kitchen. I think it was part pantry and part garden shed converted into a make shift shower stall. I remember one time it was so windy that the back door - the one that was shut closed with chicken wires - it blew open, pulling in a blast of Minnesota winter into the shower. I still had soap on me ….. aaaargh. I think that was the one and only time I used the ‘facilities’ at your place. Or atleast the shower. Then there was the toilet upstairs- in the attic? Some how the roof slanted so low and steep that you couldn’t fully stand up. Like Harry Potter’s closet. Good thing I was short. It never occurred to me how Raktim managed in that. Maybe I should ask him. 

The location was prime - right next to the train line - all the lights flickered when the train passed. And the windows did not shut properly- remember when it dipped below minus 40 and you got so sick sleeping right next to that drafty window? I made food for you - i believe Chicken stew - you told me Ma's recipe and that she always makes that for when people get sick. I made it in my newly acquired pressure cooker from Prof. Jaideep Shrivastava. [What a pity i missed my chance of working with him for Amazon because i was so focused on obtaining a spare pressure cooker from him - well i had my priorities.]

Then later, for Diwali I bought the biggest comforter I could find in Walmart for you. A navy blue king size comforter - i still remember the plaid pattern and you looking back and forth from the comforter to me and your face lit up with surprise and delight. And somehow after that we slowly stopped pretending to be ‘just friends’. That comforter was your ‘largest’ belonging for a long time, until we moved in together and a whole household stood up around us within minutes :)

I miss the wonky house and that wonky time.