Corona Tales

Day 25 of the new normal…

Everyone the world over is going through some form of lockdown or the other considering the strange and uncertain circumstances we live in at present. Day 25, that is how many days I have been working from home. Day 25, that is how many days the whole family has been cooped at home. Day 25, that is how many days I have been meaning to put up a post on life in the time of Corona, without any success whatsoever. It’s as if I am numb, from reading about how many lives this deadly virus has been taking on a daily virus. And I cannot seem to stop reading as much as I can about this virus, to try and understand the means and ways this virus works on human bodies. To try and make sense amidst the chaos and the uncertainty.

There are so many things that I want to write about, on how situations like these reveal a person’s true character. That however can wait, for another rainy day perhaps. For today, I want to focus on this bicycle. This bicycle that has been a dream come true for me.

A little over two weeks ago, my husband suddenly announced that he is going out to buy a cycle. We were almost a week into the lockdown by then and I assumed he would be looking to buy one that both he and our older daughter could use (the younger one already has a cycle). Walking and cycling are still allowed in Australia and it seemed like a plan since cycling is a way of life here. After about half an hour, he came back and started going about the business of assembling the cycle (everything is diy here!). And the moment the box was unpacked, the girls started shouting, come and have a look, Mummy! And lo and behold, there stood this beauty! And I was flabbergasted. Not only had my husband gone and bought a cycle for me, he had bought a vintage one! That too in a shade that I have always wanted. To be surprised like this is an amazing feeling, that too in the middle of a lockdown, but when you get something you have always wanted and pined for in your life, oh boy! I simply cannot begin to explain how happy and excited I was! Not only had he got the design right, but also the colour was exactly what I had in mind for whenever I would get a cycle for myself! I know it sounds silly, to pine after a cycle, but those who know me well understand by now that it is the little things in life that I value and treasure the most!

To add, Freddy did buy one more cycle a couple of days later, a proper sports bike that he could also ride. And since then he has been making sure that the girls go for a ride first and the moment they are back he literally drags me outside so that we can spend some time cycling together. Because you see when it comes to me, the taking care of myself part always takes a backseat. And this guy, this amazing guy I am married to is making sure I stay sane during this period!

Since the time this virus has started making headlines, I have been reading articles on how much of a strain it is putting on marriages. There was even an article on divorce rates going up post lockdown in Wuhan! And I cannot stop thinking about how blessed I am. Our marriage isn’t perfect, we fight like cats and dogs almost every day, but he is my best friend and at the end of the day, its him I want to spend the rest of my life with. Every time I see him spending time with the girls, playing with them, solving puzzles with them, exercising with them, I am reminded of what butterflies feel like and I love him a little bit more. We may be at loggerheads every time we cook a meal together, but hey, we still get dinner made in time without any major meltdowns! And as cliched as it might sound, it’s him I want to grow old with!

I wanted to end this on a preachy note for the men who might read this post, but hey you have got enough cues already, ain’t it? Now go and be her partner in crime!