My weekly Slice of Life are my letters to my Doddamma. She is my father’s elder brother’s wife. Doddamma literally means ‘elder mother’. She is 88 years old. She cannot hear properly if I telephone to talk to her. So, I have been writing letters to her since October 2017. I enjoy writing letters and she is happy to read them. They are only about the everyday moments in my life. Since last week I am sending my letters by e mail to my cousin’s wife. She is reading them to my Doddamma. We are at home and cannot go to the post office to post the letters.
31-03-2020
Our life has changed so much. Only once did I step out of our gate since the 24th. The tree opposite our gate is looking like a big yellow bouquet. The flowers on the street look like a yellow carpet. There was no one about, these days there are no one about. Shops are open from 7 to 11 and only then people can go out to buy their needs. We have enough for some time but our neighbor got vegetables and fruits for us. They went out to get for themselves. For a minute I went out of the gate and took a photo and rushed back.
My husband is in our village. It is sad we cannot go there because there is complete lockdown. According to our customs, from 10th to 13th day after the passing away of a person, certain rites and rituals are performed by the sons, daughters and families. My father-in-law passed away on the 24th. The rituals will be performed by my husband and his brother, but very quietly. My son and I should have been there but we cannot. The coronavirus is ruling our lives.
We are trying to follow a routine in the house. We are getting the corporation water in the evening at 5. We water the plants and then walk for half an hour in the front yard. It would have been boring some time back but now we are grateful that we can walk there. Every morning on waking up I hear the birds calling out to each other. I suppose life for them is going on as usual 😊. We live in a quiet place and we always hear the birds calling out to each other. At the same time we could hear the vehicles on the main road but now the quietness is of a different type. Life has become so difficult for countless people due to the lockdown. Migrant workers are desperate to go back to their villages from the cities and they are stranded. And so many are not able to cope with being cut off from everyone physically. Some say though they are physically active their mind just does not seem to work. They are thinking all the time about what is happening and what will happen.
( New leaves in the mango tree in the distance. It is believed if new leaves come then there will no fruits that year. Maybe no fruits this year.)
My blogger friend Todd Tyrtle hosted an online book club meeting. I had to down load the app Zoom. We started the meeting at 5.30 Indian time. The others, Vicki Ziegler, Samantha Brennan, Anupriya Basu and Subh Basu are from Canada. It was nice to hear about the different books from each one of them. I loved the experience. Hope we will be able to meet again.
We have a star apple tree in our garden and we are getting fruits everyday. They are juicy and sweet and ideal for this hot weather. We, neighbours, are exchanging fruits and vegetables grown in our gardens. We have learnt to talk to each other from a distance 😊. We are learning so many new things everyday.
And life goes on. This too shall pass.
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
– Lao Tzu
Mukhamani 
Comments are welcome :)