The Corona Times!

 

The Corona Times!

The days were running fine with the news broadcasts about a virus in the air!   People were all busy as is usual on any given day.  Still it struck some as something unusual as a subject to come through the television sets.

Many news items and many movies are always telecast.  Mostly matters connected with the day to day living and some accidents etc.  But a virus thing was not there.

This was making us apprehensive.  Over and above a symbolic one day curfew was being mentioned on the third or fourth Sunday of March of 2020.  Since we were to reach Kerala before that, I argued with my son, "We are just going on time.  We don't know when we can travel back to Chennai".  He was confident and said: "Oh..you can e a ticket after Sunday.  The curfew is only for one day, that too as a sample"

There he was right.  But once in Kerala, we were stay put to hear the random spread of virus and there by a halt in all kinds of traffic, announced by Governments and local bodies, afterwards. At times roads were blocked in the name of containment zone activation and so on. It took us one and a half years to travel back to Chennai again!   By that time, things had improved a lot.  In between, there was a total stoppage of travel including rail travel and air travel.  We read in newspapers that people walked kilometers and kilometers to reach their loved ones in far off places.  Daily deaths were reported in the TV and papers.  The news all through the day almost made us sick.  However, a strong faith in God and prayers acted as an energizer all through those tough times.

The State Government saw to it that all got food kits which was a real blessing when movement were totally banned and all were asked to be at home and not to come out except for rations or emergency occasions.  The only places we went were the ration shop and the groceries.   Oh..those times, was an eye opener from the earlier free free times.

The Bargaining Beggar..!

 The Bargaining Beggar!

Oh..these are hard times. We always melt by the writings in the newspapers and visuals in the tv sets.

A lady coming to our house for alms used to get two rupees earlier.  The conditions changing, it was raised to five.  Then the simple lady said:  Please give ten rupees which did not go very well with me, even though I did not say anything to her.  At times I paid her ten also.  Once she got ten rupees, she always expected ten rupees.  Once she said she is going to her native place and wanted a little more.I thought it reasonable and gave her a slightly bigger sum. She went happily.

Now I shifted my station to a bigger city in South India.  Here I used to travel with my family.  Once day, a lady seemingly poor but healthy stood on the side of the road and signed for stopping our car.  I brush off such stuff, as I do not accept the way side bullying for alms or for that matter for begging at red lights during heavy traffic.  Since I was not in the driving seat, I had no role and my friend stopped the car and slid down the wind shield.  The lady looked in and asked for alms.  My friend pulled out his purse and took out a hundred rupee note and gave her.  I thought it was a huge sum for alms as it goes and expected the lady to thank or bless him.    Nay...,  she said..."Enna Saamy, hundred fifty kodungaiaah" (Hundred?, Give hundred and fifty!).  I was dismayed at the audacity of the woman.  My friend drove off.

PS: Later, that day, I advised him that he should not have stopped the car in the first instance)

An Old Bicycle Accident

         I had to prove it in competition.  The old school master was kind as well as tough.  He had been allowed two bicycles on rent by a benefactor of his, to teach us students, around twenty of us.  

        The first selection for the aspirant learners by calling who can freely bicycle on the road in the afternoon if they are provided with a bicycle.  The two bicycles were standing beside us, one a brand new white half bicycle which was a great stuff in the sixties (1960s). Another one was a black one, new but not so elegant.

        I was filled with excitement and my hand went up.  The master ji said : "Give him the first cycle".  Next, I was bicycling on that brand new bicycle with an elder brother holding me from behind to keep me not falling.  As it was a boarding school for those in the poorer echelons of life, but good to study, this brother whom we called Desiettan was always minding us when he was available there.  He later went on to become priest.   He patiently guided me on the bicycle, how to balance, how to keep looking forward while bicycling etc.  

        After half a day's running by him behind me and myself trying to take in the intricacies of this great art, I was well balanced by lunch time.  After lunch we were taken out for the competition.  The other bicycle had been shared by two boys as number of aspirants had gone up after me. We were arranged on the Trichur highway to go to the Chiyyaram side a one kilometre ride.  A few boys stood guard at various points to watch if we are doing it properly and not getting down on the way.  

        We all started earnestly and went past on our left, according to the left side driving followed here and without much problem reached Chiyyaram.  The road was smooth, occasional vehicles passing up or down. On either side of the road was water flowing canals with overgrown green grass.  I got down at Chiyyaram and after a couple of leg pushes got on to my return trip, our well placed watch guards (our school friends) watching me.  So far, so good!  Here after was the incident of my life.  I was bicycling cool, when  a bus was coming against and a car was honking from my behind.  On to my left in front was an elderly gentleman walking leisurely with his dothi up in one hand and a packet on the other.  I was almost reaching him and the car fellow honked again from just my back.  OH....That did it.  I was so terrified, I went through the arm pit of the elderly gentleman,...on to..the..water canal.  You can imagine. In the fright, I did not fear the water or the condition of the canal, but as the car which was coming after me.  Neither could I brake nor look back how far away the car was.  I went sprawling into the water and mud, the little bicycle between my thighs.  I stood on my hands for a few seconds before recovering from the shock.

        Then, slowly I came out to face the elderly gentleman!  I was afraid he would beat me.  He didn't, but consoled me saying "I have children like you at home.  Tell me if you have any pain"  That was a solace.  He had his well pieced mutton scattered all over by my sudden hit from behind.  I feebly enquired of him if I could get him replacement for the lost meat.  He  said "I told you, you just be good and return home and don't bicycle on this high way.  It is dangerous. Do it on the inner roads.  Meat and all, I can take care of"   He was an angel for me at that moment.

        I thanked him,  and afterwards, God for him and started pushing the cycle for  a while.  Once he was out of sight, I climbed on again and completed the trip. All the same, report had gone, that I have failed the Test...!   I had fallen/got down from the bicycle on the way..!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boy who made it to the Capital: Reclamation of lost time!We were losing time. Al...

The boy who made it to the Capital:  Reclamation of lost time!We were losing time.  Al...:   Reclamation of lost time! We were losing time.   Always checked if a day could be more than 24 hours. But it never could be stretched. T...

 

Reclamation of lost time!

We were losing time.  Always checked if a day could be more than 24 hours. But it never could be stretched. The amount of information we wanted to take in and the kind of work we wanted to do in a day was enormous.  Earlier, there was a set of works for a day.  It slowly changed with the telephone and internet.  The writing machines were also there.  First the radio and afterwards, the TV were also to be given time.

We did all that.  Earlier more time was spent with father, mother and siblings.  Slowly we took the best out of them and avoided them to attend to the new items which appeared.  They felt the erosion in the love and affection.  They explained it by the time erosion in their common spent time.

Children growing up is like a steam engine being prepared for the long haul.  The father and mother are busy supporting the little ones and enjoying their lovely antiques of childhood.  They grow up and their needs increase.  The father and mother never give up.  They increase their effort to fulfil the needs of the young ones who also grow up in between.  Like the firemen throwing more coal to the furnace and the train picking up speed.  The train pick up speed and whistle!  What a joy, the parents think.  What a joy, the children think.  Then all are certain of the level speed. 

 

Then the children notice they have grown up.  They notice they can manage the train by themselves! New acquaintances come into near proximity bringing in new knowledge and advices. The big station comes and the youngsters think the parents can get down.  That is a beginning.  Those who get down can get back in when the train returns!  The youngsters who leave will always return and be reunited! 

The ones moving away fondly remember the good times, but has to take care of new works and assignments.  For which all gadgets are useful! From practice of the old type-writing to electric, electronic type-writing to computer and associated equipment and floppy drive – pen-drive mechanisms are all used.  One has to keep up with the day to day news for which the TV and its connected stuff all come into daily lives. Connected are the radio and the present ubiquitous Android. 

Whenever they get cut of,  one remembers the old times and the good old times. But alas, we have lost precious love time.  At times, the loved ones are not there and at times they are too old to enjoy normal matters of life. 

Now I am reclaiming time.  By putting off my TV set and not watching my android. Covid has taught me that.  The authorities have given us more time by clamping up the lock-down.  No going out any where like spirits who don’t get any respite in the netherworld.  Absolute peace! No ride outside, no going for drive, no going for taking in the breeze and no stepping out of the house!

I had previous experience of this during the time of my youth hood when I used to travel to Delhi in the Jayanthi Janata express.  It used to take around 56 hours who later became 48 and still after wards was curtained to 36 hours.  In those trips no body ever going anywhere out of the train coach.  Timely food and drinks are served by very efficient stewards who used to find joy in that work. That was roughly two and half days at a stretch in a train coach.  With 72 to 80 people in every coach, it was not thought to be so strenuous in those days.

Even though such travels were enjoyable, the love time with out parents were being curtailed as we were going away from them. Neither of us knew or thought of it at that time.  Slowly it dawned on us, by the time one parent was gone, one was ailing and siblings who went far and wide were scarce to  interact due to their own new lives.

 

Now we all have returned to the roots to count the old days and reclaim the times lost..!  But the some of the near ones are lost, parents and gone and the many are ailing.  Still the silver lining is there.  Even though ailing they are alive and without major problems!  Is that not a great thing to thank God?

The mass and prayers during Covid…!

 

The mass and prayers during Covid…!

 

The news of not more than 5 people or 20 people to assemble for mass was the beginning.  Added was the addition those above 65 years and below 10 years shall not attend to avoid Corona.

From March 3^rd week on wards on 2020 this has been the state.  By this time the small television channels through which Holy Mass was telecast became a solace in the morning mass.  There was mass in all the rites available in Kerala including Latin Malayalam Mass which is usually telecast at 8 in the morning.

The mass in the Latin, is always crisp and to the point and generally takes half an hour.  Usually it is telecast on 'Shalom'TV at 8 am.  The Father blesses all with absolution and proceeds with the mass procedures and deep prayers!   Our Father in Heaven is said after the main Mass Hymns ae pronounced by the celebrant.  The peace is exchanged and the declaration and hope of the death and resurrection of our Lord is declared and the pronunciation of the Glory and Honour to the Lord is done.  The father receives the Holy Communion.  Then the final blessings follow and the Celebrant declares the end of the mass and asks the attendants that ‘The Mass is ended, Go and serve the Lord…!’

The same mass in the Syro Malabar rites would take about an hour if not more.  Some prayers would be repeated and there may or may not be singing in between.

An evening walk during the Covid days...!

The evening walk is a 40-50 minute exercise.  The dress up and leaving is complete with a face mask which is made by a white cotton hand-ker-chief.  It is cumbersome in the beginning but one gets used to it.  That is how I found it.  Only thing is the exhaling air moves up into the spectacles and grounds its surface which we have to remove and swipe often times.

Walking out, the by-lane roads are mostly empty due to the covid threat and only very necessary people come out.   As it is rainy, there could be an occasional shower any time and water crossing the road or at places stagnating is usual.  There are hens checking the mud for little worms and competing with them are the crows, minahs and n occasional copper smith.  As long as it is the road up to the paddy fields, this is the state.  Once I enter the paddy field area, just after the "Konchira Muthi" shrine,  (Muthi is the Malayalam for Grand Mother which the local people have given to St. Mary of Pompey, who is venerated in the shrine) I make a sign of  "In the name of the Father...." and proceed on to the paddy field road where there are intersecting canals carrying a lot of water where a few guys are sitting with long fishing rods and on the green fields are the small cranes, water birds looking for the fish available in the water.  An occasional king fisher sits on a lonely tree waiting for a rare sighting of his daily meal which is a small fish.  Once he locates one, now he located one, he went into the water and flew up with the little fish in its beak.!

In this drama, there was a little commotion on my left side water body from where a small crane fluttered out giving a "eeek..eeek" sound.  It was a small frog in the beak of the crane which was making its sos call.  But in the natural scenario there is nothing much to be done as the crane was going over a water expanse and going to a choice place to take his early dinner.  Since it crossed me I turned around to see its trajectory.  It went over an exanse encircling me,  reached a place on the road which I had already covered and settled to have its dinner.   I walked on.  The field expanse if a 10-12 kilometre area or more which is said to be 'kole-padam'  (said to be below sea level paddy fields).
One gets to see a good expanse of the free sky here with various cloud formations and wind movements and the evening skies make a colourful canvas at times.

Walking up at the end of my country road and turning to the tarred road between various houses the land scape changes to house compounds on both sides and an occasional motor cycle or car or any kind of other vehicles coming at times.  Those who walk for walking a too little or nil.  But there are people going or coming with daily errants or needs such as going to the market etc. would be there. In some houses children will be playing at some other vehicles and cars would be seen parked.  The vehicles mostly don't run after covid.  They all are parked mostly.  Rare occasions they try to run. The earlier days before covid, most of them rarely used to stop, now the plate is reversed.

On the way comes the city market of the village where most of the wares are sold and purchased.  This place too people are less out marketing.  And those who come are all in their masks and keeping a fair distance.  After the market comes the church of St. Mary, now so silent, the mother blessing all of us passing by.  As all are taking precautions and directions given by the local government, the daily mass etc. are conducted with very few able bodied only in attendance and other programmes are generally postponed.

After the church, a few more steps, I hear my next compound neighbour firing his bullet motor cycle for his evening run.  That makes my evening walk during these covid times, my friends!