Buying Bras With My Mother-In-Law

When my in-laws came to America for the first time for our wedding, they also did a lot of shopping. They filled the four suitcases between them with various gifts for family members, as well as some typical American products. Some of these things (like Scotch Brite sponges and Aveeno hand lotion) weren't available in Pakistan at the time, while others (like toothbrushes and candy) my in-laws just prefer the Amreekan versions. 

Since I was on vacation from school for almost the whole time they were here, I spent many days taking them on a veritable tour of our area's shopping malls. I was happy to help, happy to have something to fill our time besides sitting in the one-bedroom apartment smiling at each other, and who am I to tell my in-laws what they can or cannot fill their suitcases with, anyway? If my MIL wants eight boxes of Ziploc bags, I'll go out and buy Ziploc bags!

Anyway, so we're out shopping one day and while we're in the parking lot after leaving one store, I ask Abbu (my father-in-law and then-translator) if there was anything remaining on our many lists. He translated my question to Ammi (my mother-in-law) and Ammi then came to me and half-whispered something. I barely understood, but I did understand two words - M's sister's name and the only word Ammi had said in English - bra.

The best place I knew to buy bras at that time was Victoria's Secret. I got the idea that Abbu wasn't supposed to be involved in this conversation, so I just told him to tell Ammi that I knew a place, and we set off to the mall. As we neared the store, Abbu must've seen all the pink and all the underwear and said hurriedly "Oh! I'll wait over here!" and Ammi and I set off on our own, sans translator. 

I can't imagine what she must've been thinking in there. I asked a sales associate to show me all the various options in the size Ammi told me (in English, thankfully) and some of them were quite risque. When I saw her look away from the worst one, I told the sales lady that we were looking for "something with fuller coverage." Eventually my MIL picked out something very simple, I bought two of them for good measure, and Ammi opted to wait outside with Abbu while I stood in line to pay for our purchases. 

And they were never seen again! M and I spent a lot of time packing and re-packing their suitcases before they left. They had bought a LOT of stuff and we had to keep re-adjusting the suitcases for space and weight restrictions. I kept wondering how everyone would react if one of the suitcases burst open, it's stretched seams no longer able to hold in all its valuables - and an understated black brassiere flew out into the middle of the room in front of my horrified in-laws (and probably a horrified M, too.) 

But it never happened. Ammi must have kept it under lock and key until the very last moment, slipping it into the luggage only after it was certain the luggage situation had been figured out. And how much do two bras weigh anyway, right? It's not like anyone was going to notice.