Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Bombay
Moving Day! And Russel Gets Great News!
Namaste
from Bombay!
Today was a truly knackering day—both
physically and emotionally. Whew!
Moving Day Is Here!
I awoke with the strange sense that no
other morning would ever be like this one again as it was the very last time I
would wake up in my Bandra studio. Rain was bucketing down and I sighed. In
about three hours, I would be moving out and the last thing I needed was a
downpour. Still, if there is one thing in the world we cannot control, it is
the weather. So be it, I thought.
I had the weirdest breakfast you can ever
imagine: the lasagna that was lying in my fridge from my lunch out at The Irish House, a couple of days ago!
Ice-cold! Straight from the take-out container! Because I had disconnected my
microwave oven and packed it up! With the rest of the soya milk also in my
fridge—drunk straight from the carton (as I had packed up my glass!). While
eating, I watched my TV for the last time (Oh, what fab service you gave me, my
lovely friend!)—can’t even remember what! Then I washed up, put the containers
away in the bags I had retained for garbage.
That done, I stripped my bed and folded
the bed spread and the bed sheet and pillowcases that I had used as covers for
the box of my microwave oven to make a night stand! I put them into gift
bags—to be put straight into the laundry at Dad’s. With the mattress exposed, I
disconnected my TV set and found out that although it was gigantic, it was
actually very light—very light, but very bulky.
Still, I managed to place it on my bed. I then hauled the original box
out from my balcony (what a blessing that I had that balcony to stash the box
as well as my suitcases right through the year!) and packed up my TV as best I
could. I tried to take off the stands on which it had been resting on my twin
night stands…but then I realized that I needed a Phillips screwdriver to be
able to unscrew them—and, of course, I did not have one. So I had to try to fit
the TV into its box with the stands still on. Fortunately, the box was wide
enough and I managed to get it in. All the while I was congratulating myself at
how I managed to do all this without any help at all. When that was done, I
surveyed my studio to see which areas needed cleaning. I went into the bathroom
and did a clean-up there. With time to spare as I awaited my friend Nafisa who
was going to bring her car to help me move my things, I sat down to listen to Career of Evil, my audio book and lay on
my bed as I did so—for the last time.
Nafisa Lends a Hand:
Nafisa did come along, about 45 minute
late as she was held up in traffic outside the Mahim church (as it is a
Wednesday and devotees number in the thousands for each of the Novena
services). When she was coming up the stairs of my building, she ran into my
garbage man (the guy who collects my garbage) and requested him to lend me a
hand—which he was very eager to do. I had to pay him for the garbage collection
anyway for the month of July and I did. He managed to get my things down quite
easily…but we did need to make two trips as I had four suitcases, a microwave
oven, gigantic TV and a bunch of bags. Anyway, thankfully for little mercies,
the downpour had long stopped…although it left behind piffling drizzles.
I was already knackered by this point but
once I got to Dad’s place with the entire move done—Rohit, Dad’s Man Friday,
helped at the receiving end. I locked my studio knowing that I would need to
return to it, later in the day, to dismantle my internet system. At Dad’s, I
got Nafisa a bowl of Huber and Holly chocolate ice-cream which I remembered to
take out of my freezer just before I switched it off—I had cleaned my fridge
yesterday. Next, I made her a cup of coffee and gave her the bag which I had
ear-marked for her. It contained lemon grass candles, soda bi-carb, Crabtree
and Evelyn bath and shower gel in Lily of the Valley fragrance (as I am
allergic to the sodium laurel sulphate in it), nail polish top coat, a diary
and a pretty box from La Patisserie. She was able to visit with my Dad and
Russel too before she decided to go home. Meanwhile, I contacted my internet
man Subhash who told me he would dismantle the system himself later in the day.
This worked out well for me.
Taking Russel to the Orthopedic Clinic:
After Nafisa left, we had a couple of
hours together at home during which time we had our lunch. Then, Morris arrived—he
is Russel’s sacristan friend and he had accompanied us on this ambulance run to
the Orthopedic clinic before and I am confident that when I am not here, he
will help Dad and will prove to be a great source of moral support to him.
The ambulance men were late by a half hour
but since there was no rain anymore or traffic, we managed to get to the clinic
on time for our 3.00 pm appointment. The receptionist Sakshi took Russel into
the endoscopy department right away and his plaster cast was removed. The stitches looked very dry and the nurses
seemed happy. He was then wheeled off for an X-ray which would be critical in
our understanding of what had been achieved by the remedial surgery and the
wait.
About
a half hour of waiting resulted in an assistant doctor called Devender telling
us that the x-ray looked good—that was our first sign of hope. And then, about
another 15 minutes later, the actual orthopedist took a look at the stitches at
the surgical site and informed us that all looked well. There were signs that
the infection was healing. He looked at the x-rays taken today and the ones
taken the last time we were there. He compared the two and told us that there
was clear indication that the fractured bone was setting. Having heard that,
both Dad and I became emotional. Dad was unable to speak, he began to weep
softly. But I just broke down and sobbed so uncontrollably that I felt as if
the power of the Holy Spirit had come upon me and was permitting me to vent my
fullest gratitude for the heartening news I had just received. I truly did not
expect my reaction to be so dramatic; but I simply could not stop myself.
It wasn’t long before the doctor told us that he would be
prescribing a pneumatic boot that Russel will have to wear (in place of the plaster
cast) for the next two months. This is
detachable and can be removed when he wishes to shower or sponge the area. He
has called Dad and Russel back after two months, i.e. at the end of September
or in early October for another set of x-rays to be taken so that the results
can be compared.
It was with the greatest relief that we left the clinic
and made our way back home to Bandra in the ambulance. We then sent word around
to some of our closest family members and friends—all of whom were so relieved
and who rejoiced with us at the great news.
After we got home, we all badly needed a cup of tea and
some refreshments and we paused to enjoy it. Then, my internet man Subhash
arrived and walked with me across to my studio where he dismantled the internet
system but left the cables there in case the next tenant wished to get wired.
With that task accomplished, I left my key for the last time with my landlord
Sameer’s uncle upstairs.
I
went to church that evening (even though Dad declined) because it was a
Wednesday and needed to say the novena and also wanted to offer a Thanksgiving
Mass to the Lord and His Blessed Mother for answering our prayers. That done, I
returned to Dad’s in time for us to have our dinner. You could tell that Dad
was visibly relieved by the prognosis and Russel was also in great spirits.
It was by this time that I realized how
knackered I was and that I simply needed to get to bed.
What a day! What a memorable day! I went
to bed with a Thank-you prayer on my lips.
Until tomorrow…
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