Fresh and New. Tired and Old.

Note: I normally edit after I write but it seemed appropriate NOT to do so in this case. So, please excuse all errors.

Every now and then, I get asked if I am jobless. There are those who camouflage it in the seeming courtesy of “so, what DO you do all day?” and others who will say it on the face (preferred). It seems that if one is not entirely pre-occupied with oneself and one’s family and actually checks in on others beyond the “hey, hope all is well,” one is struggling to spend time. 

Honestly, there are many days where I feel I have accomplished absolutely nothing – but it would be busy and ceaseless all day. The past few weeks demonstrated that very well. Thanks to Corona, I was away from my home in Chennai for almost seven months. My mother-in-law, who has never been by herself for that long a stretch in a very long while, managed by sheer will – doing just what she needed to do. So, when I returned, the rooms that had not been used were swathed in inches of dust. Entering one bathroom, was greeted by a toilet tank that had cracked diagonally. In the meanwhile, daughter informed me that her toilet was leaking and that her washbasin faucet was not working properly. I checked another bathroom and that toilet had yet another problem. The plumber was called. He had to search high and low for a cistern because apparently nobody buys only a cistern anymore (looks like India is going the use and throw way too). He found it in a few days after saying it would be done the next day. Of course, those intervening days had to be punctuated with phone calls making sure that he was still coming. When he did arrive, he came with a second plumber and they were moving all around, requiring scrap cloth, directions to shut off the main water supply etc. Which meant while I was technically active and moving, I really was getting little done. Then, plumber says third toilet would definitely crack too soon. I stored away that piece of information. Two mornings later, I wake up and find that no water coming in the faucet. I check to find out that daughter’s cistern has broken overnight (this was not the cistern he said would break) and been leaking water all night long. Sigh. Call plumber again – order cistern again (two this time so that I did not need to do a replay again in a couple of days). Act 2, Same Scene.  

Phew, I thought. Then some days later, as I am adjusting the faucet in the middle of a shower, I get an electric shock. Water and Electricity – lovely combination as you can imagine. I called my regular electrician who told me that he had broken his arm and therefore could not come. So, I called an acquaintance for another electrician contact. This was right when I was away for a couple of days for another engagement. My mother in law had to handle it – the new electrician came, looked at everything and said all was well, nothing was wrong, that if I felt it still was, he could put in another earth wire. He ended up effectively changing a couple of bulbs and left. Wonderful. A week later, the heater is not only non-functioning, we do not know why it is not functioning. Enter telephonic tech support from engineer husband – he methodically instructed me and with his help, I figured out that it was definitely inflicting a shock and it occurred only when the heater was plugged in – regardless of whether the switch was on OR off. It was NOT all fine and dandy as the electrician had led one to assume. Now that one knew it was the appliance and not the wiring, I called the appliance company. He called the day after I filed the complaint and arrives barely 30 seconds after he calls, even as I am trying to catch my lunch. It would have been nice if you had called earlier, I said. Oh really, madam? I was in the neighbourhood and so decided to stop by. He obviously has more control over his life than I do.  He comes, he says oh, the heater is gone, Madam. You need to change it. He writes me up a bill, I find the cash to pay him and off he goes. THEN, I catch my lunch. Then I order a new water heater.

On the days I did not have heater episodes, a parallel story was occurring. For whatever reason, the hot water tap in our water dispenser did not work ever since we returned. I called the maintenance chap who told me, of course, that several things had broken inside and I was better off getting a new one. What’s more, he said I could not use the existing taps either since in opening it up to check, he had broken those too. I persuaded him to do what my father would call ottu sootram or stick and fix smartly. He said it was absolutely not possible but then proceeded to do it. He then adviced me to definitely NOT order the next appliance online as they would sell only broken things there. Of course, I proceeded to order the new one on Amazon. Once it was delivered, I get an automatic service request put in that says someone will be in within 24 hours to install and demo the product. 48 hours later, it happened.

So, as you can see, I have been jobless while constantly on a job. Never mind the usual jobless jobs such as vegetable, fruits and provision shopping. The food, of course, cooks itself. Through all this, I even managed to pat myself on the back a couple of times.  For instance, I had called my car mechanic even before I arrived and told him to give the car a full service – it ended up needing a new battery, new wiring (rats had chewed them off), an oil change, and new wipers. But it was ready and waiting for me when I arrived. God bless Saravanan.

So, though many things in and around the house are fresh and new, I am just feeling tired and old. And to all those who rub in my ‘joblessness’ when I enquire or chat, this is what I would like to say.

A related post: Housewife? No. House Goddess.