Restoring The Normal After The Abnormal

The sun was shining after the rain stopped. I was sitting in the shadows of the old banyan tree in my village and gazing upon the nearby orchards. The weather was damp and dismal. A bitter cold wind swept through the fields as the serenity grew still. I decided to buy some medicine as I took the golden opportunity of feeling a few drops of rain on my body. Raining has become rare now. The people of my village have been buying drinking water from nearby stores. Dear reader, you would probably think that I live in a desert area. But your assumption is wrong.

I live in a place that was well-known for its greenery as it received above 200CM of rainfall. Groundwater, wells, ponds, and lakes were pure and fresh. I often wasted water irrigating the fields of mustard as I thought that giving more and more water to crops would provide a good yield. My parents always told me that it would result in overirrigation of the crops yet I often ignored it and wasted water. 

The most conflicting thing was that at the same time I delivered long speeches in my school's annual SAVE WATER program. It seems a bit funny but what one can do. It is human nature.

Oh! We started in another direction and went in another way. I was going to buy medicines. I called a cab by voice commanding to my smartphone like specs. The car arrived at my location, I scanned my hand on the fingerprint sensor then the door opened. The car started, the gear set and steering wheel moved. Sometimes, I miss the man who used to drive this four-wheeler robot. 

Accidents have become less due to satellite-controlled GPS cars. The people who previously stole vehicles might have become the people who manage these vehicles from cabs offices. Unemployment has reduced around the world. Technology has made great progress. The doctors have now become more experts, so inaccuracy in their surgery/treatment is impossible.

I am going to tell you about my favorite doctor to whom I am going. He takes care of every kind of problem that the patient is suffering from. He always tried to give mental relief as a healthy body requires a healthy brain. He is the chief of that care hospital which is famous in the district. He has been honored with national awards. I reached the hospital and got a notification on my 10th generation smart spectacles that you have reached your destination and the charges have been withdrawn from your bank account.

I miss those days of negotiation when I used to quarrel with the cab driver for 2 rupees. It used to be a debate of intellectuals but funny. Lastly, I would give the same charges but debate with him on economic and political aspects that he was not supposed to charge this much.

Then I moved out of the automatically operated car and sanitized my hands to get into the hospital. The escalator took me to the general health department and a robot of my height came, scanned my body, and gave me medicine. I stepped out of the hospital with a jute bag containing my medications. Jute is eco-friendly but somewhat costly.

Are you thinking that is why I didn't meet the doctor I was telling you about earlier?

I did not expect this from you. You seem to have forgotten. The robot which was scanning me was my favorite Doctor. He was controlling the robot from his home. This technique reduces the danger of spreading any kind of virus. Again I called a cab and went to my village. Then the same notification came and I reached my village. I headed towards my house. 

On the way, I saw some people in the covid warriors memorial garden of our village paying their tributes to the covid warriors who lost their lives in the 2020 pandemic. I thought that there was something special that day. 

After reaching my home and going into my bedroom, I opened the laptop and saw the notification from my office. It stated that we people had passed 30 years after the dangerous virus disappeared from our surroundings. You have been warmly invited to attend the program that is being organized to pay tribute to covid warriors. I started to arrange my video conferencing equipment.

The rapid industrialization that took place after the pandemic to boost the world's economic status deprived our village of clean, fresh drinking water. We got jobs but lost clear streams, trees, and glaciers. However, in light of the latest reports, our eco-friendly lifestyle has slowed the growth of carbon emissions and global warming. Our electric cars and solar electricity have brought down the planet's pollution levels. 

Water in my village is also becoming fresh as acid rain has reduced. My teachers often told me that if one tries to exploit natural resources to fulfill his dream, then he would have to face pandemics, scarcity, and losses. However, with continuous effort and a positive approach, everything can be achieved. I find it hard to believe that we have passed thirty years since the eye-opening pandemic. It was a grand event. Medical personnel, such as doctors and nurses, were all present. Despite their traumatizing experiences, they remained optimistic. Then my turn came, I shared my views. The meeting ended. My laptop got discharged and, as a result, it got switched off. My mother came and scolded me to take a rest as I was sneezing. Everything has changed, everything is temporary yet this scolding is the same. It would be the same till the end of the world. Restoring everyone's lives to normal would take some time but one day it would be accomplished!