Whether "Lockdown" or "Blackout", it's the same, we are confined to the four walls of our home. Perhaps, this pandemic has equipped us of lockdown dos and don'ts and expected of us as a concerned citizen.
For a long time I have been cautious of porous borders and quarantine centres for the likely source of the virus in the community. There isn't a better option for a heavily dependent nation than to savor the path through collective effort and learning to live with the virus. Today as I sit down for another lockdown experiencing both fun and pain, I worry about the risk of spreading the virus from a careless individual who can undo all our efforts put together thus far.
This lockdown is strangely heartbreaking for some reasons.
I neighbor a family who runs an Automobile Workshop Shop. A man deeply rooted in mechanical skills and entrepreneurial ability is also a man known for his versatile tongue and his ubiquitous influence in the town is known for the number of calls he receives a day. Maybe people feel his good service and kind heart. I guess he has high qualities of a man. For the neighbor's gesture, he gave me free service last month fixing the steering motor. It was an utterly altruistic act and service to behold and there is no doubt for the level of service and sacrifice each mechanic makes in the line of duty from his car workshop.
We are into the fifth day of lockdown confined within limited space, it is so sure to cause fatigue and boredom. To keep myself busy, I started by washing my car. It took me at least one hour to bring down all the heavily dusted and muddied bodies. Then I took another half hour to clean underneath the seat and dashboard and windowsill to minute detail. It took my good sum of energy and skills to shine the rusty car, which is aging over a decade now.
With some time in hand, I picked up the bucket, hand brush, surf and quickly rushed backside of the building to give some bit of bath to the carpet which was lying idly for quite some time without use. It took me 45 minutes and a heavy share of energy. So before I took it for drying, I rolled up and left it over the wall to drench its water.
As I was walking, I bumped into my neighbor. We exchanged a few quick wishes and discussed the lockdown situation but only to remain another 72-hour at home. However, one thing caught me so seriously in our conversation. A mechanic wizard who always roars with wrenches in his hand has painfully shared with me, sir, month ending, I have 15 mechanics working with me and in weeks time, I have to pay them their monthly salary. I am worried if the lockdown continues for another week. I am dead as I am already running at a loss. This was the moment I felt pity for him. My heart goes out for service provider sectors, because these sectors have been the key economic muscle of the country but least bothered. They are truly nation builders. I couldn’t say much but felt his pain and concern.
I pray he can regain his faith in the market as this virus eases from the community and his men get back into full swing.
One of the toughest jobs I felt during the lockdown period was to babysit. I wish to be locked up in such a lockdown for at least 30 days nationwide 5 years from today, when my little boy turns 7 years old. By then I would be just sitting in front of TV, around the balcony, reading, chatting and coffeeing peacefully at my own pace and will. To babysit two equally innocent children locked up in a room is a hard battle fought in mud with sticks and stones. It's no surprise; everyone at such an age is proactive and naughty claimed my wife in unison. Perhaps, my two kids would be in line to an award for being active and participatory. I wonder where they get such a luxury of energy and ideas to jump, run, cry, fight, play, etc but I was heavily made to run and nurse them and often be the umpire in their rat race. Anyway, I wish them to grow well into a responsible and dutiful citizen.
This lockdown has been fruitful in many ways. I could complete some of the unfinished work. I could screen some Nepali Movies to my mother who meticulously looks after my kids when we are off to work. I am happy in between, I could share some insights of the movies and make her feel that human touch of the movie. One point is so clear in the movies, the caste and gender is very obvious, so surreal and predicament. I could not only assist my wife in kitchen but also to a great deal of cleaning and arranging things in place. Nevertheless, if I were to zoom in from the satellite image, my body would be appearing so much behind the broom in hand and running after my boy.
It was so naïve of me to think that babysitting is fun.
It isn't at all.
I turned back and silently submitted to my wife's feet.
...you win and I lose!
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