With the lockdown continuing I decided to participate in weekly coffee evenings. Coffee with friends is now a thing of the past and a dream for all of us. However, why should that stop us from having a conversation over an imaginary cup of coffee. Remember how we had imaginary tea parties as kids. Well, let’s do it again.

So, if you came over for coffee today (please forget the lockdown for a while), I’d offer you coffee but I would have tea. You would ask me what happened and I’d tell you that I had stopped for a while as I’d read somewhere that caffeine negates the effect of thyroxin ( the tablet you take in case you have hypothyroidism).

I’d offer you a slice of warm banana bread that my daughter freshly baked and I’d tell you how how all this free time has got her into baking and added inches around my waist. Then, I’d ask you how your week went and only after that I’d tell you about mine.

I’m sure you’d notice my tresses gone and you would asked me, “Why?” I would then tell you I needed a change and other than get rid of my hair (that had grown upto my waist like weeds), I had nothing else that I could change. I am sure you will ask me if it is safe to visit the saloon and I will tell you why it is. But before that I would tell you how good it felt having someone wash my hair and massage my head after four whole months.

About the safety, they check your temperature the moment you step in and ask you if you have the Arogya Setu app. Its mandatory to download it here in India. The parlor needs to see if it says, ‘You’re clear’ which thankfully it did for me. I think its based on where you stay -it kind of checks whether you have been around someone who’s contracted Covid.

Once that’s done they give you a PPE kit to wear for which you have to pay an additional Rs. 150.00 and before you sit on the hot seat, you have to wear the mask, put gloves on your hand, the shoe cover on and wear the cover that you wear in hospitals (all part of the PPE kit). The seat’s sanitized and the people in the parlor ensure they do it in front of you. And then you speak to the hairdresser who is also behind a mask and is wearing a PPE kit. I could barely see mine. For she had her hair covered and her head cover was pulled down over the forehead and only allowed a tiny little bit of her eyebrow to peep out. So, honestly I’m not so sure how she looked like but from the crease between her eyebrows every time she went snip, snip, snip, I knew she was cutting my hair with complete concentration. Honestly, thanks to the lockdown, I didn’t really care how good I would look at the end of it. The hair will grow back. I just so needed a change.

Anyways, there was this lady who walked in while I was having my haircut. She’d taken an appointment too and the app showed she was clear but when the person at the saloon took her temperature, it showed 37.8 degrees centigrade which apparently is above the allowed temperature. The distraught lady in a pair of shorts tried explaining that it was a hot day and she had just walked from home which probably could have been the reason for the temperature. At her insistence, they agreed to take a reading again after 5 minutes but this time it showed 37.9. She explained that it was probably because they were stressing her out and that she was perfectly fine as the app had shown but the woman at the salon would not hear of it and requested her to leave. My temperature had been 37.6 (on the brink). Thank God! The government’s even set the temperature for the air-conditioner. It cannot be lowered below 26 degrees Centigrade. I’m not sure why that is but its probably because the virus gets comfortable below it. Before leaving the salon, I was asked to bin the PPE kit and that was that.

“Would you like some more coffee? Or some cake? ”

If you sat for a while longer, you would ask me about the swelling around my lower jaw and I’d tell you that my root canal had an infection and it had to be cleaned. You’d ask me how I managed to go to the dentist under the current conditions and I’d tell you I did because I had to. I can imagine the look on your face but I’d calm you down by telling you that the dentist ensured complete safety measures were taken.

They see a patient at a time and sanitize between patients. You need to take an appointment before going and there’s a gap of 30 minutes between appointments. Well, no business wants to be sealed so they check the temperature and let you in only if you’re temperature is in the normal range.

You would ask me about the doctor then and I would tell you that with my head tilted backward and my mouth open I couldn’t really see the doctor’s face. In addition to the PPE kit, he also wore a face shield and had his glasses on. But I can tell you he was kind and patient. You know, how scared I am when it comes to hospitals and doctors. My palms were sweating under that PPE kit I was wearing but the Doctor’s voice put me at ease. Eight injections of anesthesia helped get the job done though it still hurt. And the swelling you see is the result of those injections. But thank you for asking, I’m feeling better now.

Now you must tell me more about your week or what you’ve been busying yourself with – your thoughts, your feelings over the week gone by. Do you want a refill of your coffee before you begin?

Before you leave I must tell you to give yourself a break and prioritize yourself because work can really wait. I would also like to tell you that taking time off to do the things you love will not hurt you.

You asked me about my latest painting. Here it is. You’ll notice that its signed 22nd. I haven’t done anything after that. You know the reason why – my head’s been a little dizzy after all those antibiotics and painkillers. That’s also the reason that though I’m supposed to have invited you over the weekend, I had to delay it a bit. I hope you understand.

It’s been wonderful talking with you. I’d like it if you visit me next week for coffee or tea again. Have a wonderful week. Stay safe! Stay happy! Goodbye until we meet again🙂🙏

This post is linked to Eclectic Ali’s Weekend Coffee share

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