Corona times 2020..03

FULL LOCK DOWN

 I was a bit reluctant to return immediately. It was so nice out there. However, following the rules of do's and don'ts while using the lift, I was home. I saw Tara standing at the door. She asked me to put the brown paper bag down and carefully emptied it. Then wiped the strips of medicine clean with a paper tissue soaked in soap water. She placed the strips neatly on top of the drawer in front of the door saying 'let it be there for four hours!'.

I was taken aback, when she asked  me to go to straight to the bathroom and take a quick shower!  She added, 'use lots of soap and put your worn clothes for a wash'. People at my age will surely remember the routine we followed after having a haircut. We entered the bathroom from the back door making sure not to touch anything in the bathroom and hunkered down in the bathing area.        Usually an elder would pick up a 'chombu' and pour water on us. It is not a joke!

Yesterday I went down to check my car. It was eerie, the car park was full of cars coated with a thick layer of dust. I gingerly opened my car with my fingers. Started the car, and it did start :-).              Ran it for a minute and went back home! I was proud that I had managed it all by using just my finger tips. I headed to the bathroom to wash hands, as per the new regulation, with soap and for 20 seconds.

What I heard stunned me, ' Take a shower and put your clothes for a wash!'
All of us would have developed our own routines for the grocery bought. Basically wash them and dry them. If they are in covers, wipe the covers.

The challenge is more about keeping calm. Tara, apart from cooking, cleaning and watching TV, she also teaches our granddaughters to sing bhajans via video calls . I am a bit more restless, but try hard to focus on the issues of the day. Luckily I am in-charge of unskilled tasks. Putting  clothes in the machine and drying them later. I have not yet graduated to washing vessels, but I am allowed to put them out to dry and put them in place after they have dried. Clean up after a meal etc.,. The only exception is making tea in the afternoon. Coffee is made in the morning and routine is not set.  Mostly whoever is up will start the process. I am praying hard that Covid 19 will go away, before I qualify for a PG level of skill training! PG has a different connotation for us in the family.

Social distancing for us is not a problem.  Oh yes, if we need a measure, the driver (golf) comes in handy. It is just the right measure for us to maintain distance.