“It’s like Noah and the flood!” My Sis Thel over the phone, her laughter always like happy bells on a low key day, but last week she was more listening to the world outside here in Bangalore. “Some people across our gate … we used to smile in passing, but not anymore…?”

Thel is a Teacher of the finest, like my Ma. She did her Masters then taught English, even to me as I graduated from college; she had this stack of Classics ~ Thomas Hardy(Return of the Native, Tess….I loved those, at age 17, I think), Dickens, ‘Grapes of wrath’ …Steinbeck?, Saki, Wodehouse; my sis Thel is a deeply caring person whose smile reminds me that Life is beautiful, even mid-odds.

So of course all that got me thinking how us Earthlings are on a type of Boat, waiting out a certain Tide to recede, meanwhile every day spent is a Lesson of sorts. Some of us venture out like Noah’s Dove; we return home with Olive Leaf to say ….yes, we got fruit today. Oh Tej Bakers was open. Ah, Veg Store too!

We are learning skills we never intended to: creating moments indoors instead of going out for them. Eating together and watching movies without worrying about bed time, or wakeup!

And some bad.

This awful thing in today’s papers: do we need ask why?!

Divorce rates went up somewhere; another country asked women to wear make up even while at home. Instances of abuse & rape rise.

Observing Social behaviour during Lockdown now is an Eye opener to the two Lives we live.

This morning as we got in some more groceries and washed/ dried out masala packets we chatted about how Life might never be as Unsuspicious of Surface Tension anymore. …?

it’s going to take more than a rainbow in the sky to make us feel safe about a hug and a kiss greeting anymore. Namaste? Maybe. 2 meter friendly Lifts/ Walkways? ……

Right now this Boat trip feels alright, with our visiting squirrel, pigeon, and Ivory&Blackie, (2 friendly dogs at our gate).

Life is odd and sweet and beautiful in flattening curves or otherwise, that teach us Things we will hopefully remember as one Community of Survivors.