So I tripped over the gas pipes on the terrace last Monday when we went to walk and had a nasty fall that resulted in some bloody bruising, swelling and a lot of pain. Still healing. But let me tell you the story of the gas pipes.
Sometime in March this year there was a proposal to install piped cooking gas. And after getting the consent of a few residents, the work started. But as we all know, March was also the fateful month that initiated the lockdowns because of the pandemic and the work stopped and had to be abandoned until last month, when they felt it was safe to resume.
Of course, not all the residents who had opted for the piped gas were happy about the foot traffic of the workers in their houses, but what to do.
Anyway, pipes installed. No idea if they are functional. But one thing is certain–they are a hazard on the terrace where we go for a walk. They run across the threshold where we step into the terrace after we climb the stairs. And then, just as we recover from the surprise, and careful step over the water pipes running across, there they are again, waiting for the unsuspecting walker to trip over them.
The first time, Sury tumbled over the pipe. When it gets dark, it is hard to see them. After telling each other how careful we must be, we were conscious of them.
So last Monday, we were walking on the terrace as usual. The weather is a bit chiller now and I felt the urge to do something-something. I went downstairs, did it and returned. As I climbed the last flight of stairs, I was thinking, I must be careful about the first set of pipes. Of course they were not visible in time and I felt sucker-punched as I went right over them. I recalled movie scenes where the encounter cops swing a rod across the legs of the running criminal. Seriously.
And so, I fell. Tried to brace myself and of course I think that made things a bit worse. I worried about the phone in my pouch, my glasses and NOT falling flat on my face. Oh well, good thing is I broke nothing. That was truly merciful. I tried to get up as I saw Vidur running over, alarmed at seeing me walking one minute and flat on the ground the next.
Said ground is so abrasive with all the cement work they’ve been doing, I tell you! Ugh!
Anyway, I hobbled over to the other side, mindful of the second set of pipes. Then Vidur urged me to go back home and wash the bloody things. I did. Have a rather deep one on my left shin that is making my life miserable. The other deep one on my right knuckle swelled up alarmingly, but has subsided now, thanks to painkillers and ointments prescribed by our Dr. Rao.
Had a long chat with him on the phone. You know it is all telemedicine these days. He no longer consults at his clinic, it seems, due to the pandemic.
How life is, no?
One week of acute pain, stupidly skipping the painkillers in between, in the hope that I could bear the pain, then regretting it because that meant the inflammation took longer to go down. Feeling bad about missing the fitness classes and walking. But what to do? Can’t help that. Being patient as a patient is really hard. I am grinning thinking of the rare times I fell sick and drove you crazy, Mi.
I think I’ve had more accidents than sickness events. Do you remember that time when the autorickshaw front wheel ran over my foot while waiting at the traffic lights? I rode home somehow and we put my foot in a tub of warm water. However, it got so swollen that we had to go to the doc and x-ray it, to discover a fracture.
Such a godsend when Venkittu mama suddenly landed up like an angel and spent the week with me, watching movies, eating mindlessly and laughing our guts off! Wonderful memories. You would scold him for buying junk snacks and he would tell you that with my rather hyper-metabolism I’d burn it all off. Such fun times. Venkittu mama was always wonderful, no?
Signing off before I get too maudlin.
