My servant, who stays nearby, had a look of distress on her face as she asked me, “Madam, need I continue to come for work?” She maintained the compound and cleaned vessels at our residence. Her fear was not from the virus but from the fact that her other employers had let go of her with the month’s salary and she was worried if they would hire her back, or not, since they paid her a neat salary. To appease her anxiety, I asked her to continue if she wished and not to panic at rumours about the scourge. I advised her to keep her distance and wear a mask when she moved around anywhere. She looked relieved as she left.
So much has been written about the deadly virus it seems redundant to writemore. The world seems to be waging not less than a third world war against asolitary enemy, which is powerful only because it is invisible and multiple, and cantravel fast at no cost to itself, by piggybacking on humans. It reminds me of themythological tales where the potent rakshas/asura would deviously be at multipleplaces even after being cut into pieces. The Archille’s heel of the demon would beknown soon and lo, he would be killed by the kings and Gods.
One offshoot of our latest enemy Corona is that every person has finally realisedthat nothing can be taken for granted. A life of senseless consumerism has turnedinto frugal purchases and utilisation, as commonly available goods turn scarce orthe same product has countless buyers. The clock has turned back as people,especially in India, are forcibly doing all the domestic chores by themselves as servants have disappeared, either due to fear or lack of transport facilities.
Persons easily give in to myths, and keep offering free advice – to eat pineapple, ginger, and so on, to keep the virus at bay. At the last – for some time at least – social gathering that I attended, a lady said, “We had been to that pilgrimage place where a person put drops of vaccine into our mouths as we sat for lunch.” I was too shocked to reply even as another lady concurred with the first, saying he would not have meant harm at a holy place. I only pray that the person would have administered water from the nearby pond and nothing else!
Families are forced to spend time together, with songs and poems doing the rounds glorifying the experience. I feel blessed as I have a home garden to take a stroll.
My daughter, living in California, laughingly said, “The happiest is our little Kinni, who has his elder 5-year-old brother – away from school – to play with for the full day. But we parents, apart from working for office from home, are constantly on our toes attending to their recurring needs.” She records videos of the duo at play and we laugh at their guileless antics. That wraps it up – let us embrace the innocence of the toddlers and remain happy through the virus saga. The Archille’s heel will be located and the demon will be slain, the virus conquered. The footsoldiers, the healthcare group are fighting. Faith, patience and safety are the key virtues for now.
