“Drive faster, mamu! Faster!” I said.

“Oh, don’t provoke him dear, or he is actually going to hit someone,” declared Nani. And ‘Vroom!’, our mamu darted past all the other cars just like how Lewis Hamilton does in Formula 1. Our nani had no other option, but to brace and pray.

Having a great uncle in your life is having a great coach, a favourite teacher, a perfect mechanic, a best friend and a big brother combined into a single person. Many of us have wonderful parents and grandparents that we should be grateful for, but there is so much spice missing in life without a mamu with whom we can share all kinds of fun memories.

The best thing about having a mamu is that he is available at all times, especially when there are silly emergencies. For instance, when we run out of chewing gum and we ask him to get a fresh pack from the nearest stop shop. He will take out his car/bike and rush to the shop to get us some gum. And he won’t mind going on a hike and taking us along too.

And when he is finally back, we say with a grin, ”Oh mamu, we forgot to tell you that nani asked you to bring some eggs.”

And since there is no other option, he goes again to the shop to get the eggs.

When our exams are near, our mamu shows up out of nowhere and starts teaching us. When I say ‘teaching’, I mean that they listen to what we have learned so far and revise those topics that our mothers have already taught us. During these study sessions with our mamus, we become smart and answer all the questions correctly. There are no words to describe this scenario rather than just calling it ‘mamu magic.’

And then our mamu tells our mother, “See? Teaching children without being angry is possible.”

After boasting this, he leaves. Why? Because he has to go to the shop and get eggs!

Moreover, mamus can also be very silly. For example, my mamu forgot his car keys before going somewhere important. My grandparents got angry at him for this careless behaviour and my cousins and I just burst into laughter.

Sometimes, when our mamu picks us up from school, it is always a surprise to us that we get to see a new face and introduce him to some of our friends. However, sometimes when our teacher or security guard asks us at the gate about who our mamu is, it’s always hilarious to say, “I don’t know who he is.”

I remember when my father used to go to work, my mamu used to take me to the mosque on Friday. On the way back, we used to buy delicious corn or sweet potatoes with spices from the stalls outside the mosque perimeters.

Furthermore, we cannot ignore the fact that our mamus are brilliant friends, who are never reluctant to sleep late and watch all types of movies with us, even cartoons. They would download lots of movies from paid or free websites and watch them with us. It’s always lovely to enjoy a sweet comedy film and laugh out loud every now and again with our uncles.

Some mamus are also amazing at video games. Okay, so they might not be the best gamers, but it is still fun to play with them.

It’s also reasonable to think that not all mamus are fans of movies and games, due to the age gap. But, I reckon that every mamu is an admirable coach who can teach us how to be the best in sports. From playing catch to sweating in cricket or tennis, he is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). Furthermore, it’s always fun to watch cricket matches on TV with our uncles.

All those childhood days could not have been better without a mamu or a chachu. The lovely memories that come with them are literally irreplaceable, which is why we should always respect them as ‘little’ as possible.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 7th, 2023