The lock down life

I am taking back everything that i said about me being an introvert.

I miss the cold breeze and morning sunshine, and waiting for school bus at apartment gate early morning. Watching people walking thier dogs or jogging. 

I miss my walk from home to bus stop. Busy morning buzzing with people beginning thier day. Labourers at the street food shop having their breakfast, i wonder they have enough food to eat now during lockdown. What is the woman who makes dosa at this shop doing now? 

I miss my bus ride to office. The time when I catch up on news or mails or just listen to music and observe people. 

I miss people at office. I miss coffee time with my friend. The time when we discuss everything under the sun.. Its the best therapy in the world. 

How I miss normalcy. 

The little me

Looks like it is nesting time for pigeons.

There is this one persistent pigeon trying to sneak in and build its nest in my utility area. I tried scaring it off multiple times, but it just refuses to give up. Now there are two eggs and this nest and this pigeon settled comfortably under my uitility sink.

I shooed the pigeon away and turned around to find wide eyed Charu looking straight back at me like how Greta Thurnburg would look at  Donald Trump. I knew what she was going to say even before she opened her mouth.

"Mommy, how would you feel, if you were that bird and I am that egg, and someone shooed  you away when you are with me? You yourself had said once that this world belongs to plants and animals and birds too."

I knew it. I would have said the same to my mother some 20 odd years ago.
And yes i did tell Charu once, when she was scared to climb a tree because it had ants, that the tree belongs to ants too and that we should learn to co-exist. I had told her about Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's short story  "Bhoomiyude Avakashikal" (The rightful inheritors of Earth), one of my favorite. 

Now there is no way that I can disregard her compassion and tenderness at this age, and I just hope she doesn't loose it ever. I could only visualize what I am going to do every Saturday morning from now on- scrubbing my utility off pigeon shit.

And if everything goes well for the pigeon family, take care of the little pigeons that will hatch in some days.

Wonderful!