TIME-PASS
While cutting vegetables
You told me to cut a joke
Just to pass time!
Instead, I cut a finger
and together
we murdered the time!
In my early days of courtship, I had written the above words to woo my beloved. And (the old man that I am), I remembered these very words last Saturday – when I sliced open my right thumb (carelessness and stupidity, of course!). The flow of blood almost made me swoon with (perceived) weakness and aversion to see the blood. Tumeric powder and tea leaves compression did manage to stop the flow of blood; as also torrent of clucks and clicks and aahs and oohs from all the angles (and everybody present in the house). A visit to walk in clinic confirmed the worst fears, and I came out a winner – nursing a nice bandage (after sutures,et al). I could cope with pain much better now that I had pain-killers, too!
However, coping without a thumb is a whole different story. I never realized the importance of my right (or left) thumb – and my total reliance – why even the space bar on the key board is constantly being pressed by my ‘right’ thumb – and at every stroke, I whimper with pain. Habits die hard; and pressing the space-bar key stroke with my right thumb is no exception. Ouch!
Buttoning up, zipping up, tying shoe laces – every time, there are two or more ouches. But the life must go on. Pain not withstanding.
And in the meantime, all I can do is pray for quick recovery; and normalcy. And empathize with Eklavya – who offered his (freshly cut) right thumb to his guru, Dronacharya!
