The Reverse Pandemic Effect

Hey, what is this man! exclaimed Aryan on seeing his sister Alisha turning all the dust on his side. What? I am elder to you, can’t even you do this much work for me and I am really exhausted please tell mom we’ll clean the rest of the house tomorrow. What can I do, you ask her. No, you go Aryan, you are the ‘man of the house’, be brave and tell her, I am with you. Fine! What choice do I have now I’ll ask her. Hey, mom, I was thinking we can do the rest of the work tomorrow, what you say? What? You are tired already, God what will happen of this young generation. You can’t even work for one straight hour! No, no, no tomorrow, get back to work. Don’t you know they say we’ll not get summer vacations, autumn break, and winter vacations this year? These lockdown days are the break itself, so don’t make excuses and finish the work.

Mom! Who are “they” who are giving you this information, stop hanging out with such people please says both Alisha and Aryan irritatingly. Hey! Don’t you doubt my sources, I read this news on WhatsApp. What mom, on WhatsApp? Please, Mom, stop believing every other so-called news on WhatsApp. People write anything under the garb of anonymity, how many times do we have to tell you this? Fine! You children think you are smarter than your parents, but don’t you forget we are more experienced than you and also, we can do more manual work than you, see, you are already tired after doing this much work and I am still not tired and have more energy and zeal than you two. Okay, okay, who could win before the parent’s logic. We rest our case mom. Ya whatever said the mother laughingly. What happened mom why are you laughing? Oh, I suddenly got reminded of yesterday’s incident.

What incident mom? exclaimed both the children. You know that our society has locked all the gates to avoid the contact with people from outside owing to this corona virus pandemic. So? asked the children. So, it means nobody is allowed to the society not even the house helpers. So what mom? So the thing is yesterday I saw our neighbor Jayashree from our terrace. She was lying on the floor with a mop in her hand. What? Aunt was lying on the floor but why? exclaimed the children surprisingly. Yes, she was lying in her backyard. I got concerned and when I asked her about her well-being, she told me that her health is alright but she is severely missing her house help Rani. And since you know your aunt Jayashree never did the household chores and Rani was employed as their full-time maid. So, now without her Jayashree has become completely helpless. She told me that because of the constant winds these days, the house needs to be moped every day, so for few days she managed somehow but yesterday she got completely exhausted but the house is to be cleaned whatsoever and since she was left with no choice, so when she could not stand anymore she completed the moping process by lying on the floor! Oh, that’s quite sad exclaimed the giggling children.

Well yes, what happened with her is quite sad but this small incident made me realize that on the positive side because of this lockdown people are now realizing the importance of our helpers. I may not know much like you children but I know this one thing that this pandemic is somewhere helping to erase this class difference that’s prevailed in our society for so long. Finally, now people have realized the worth of our helpers and now they’ve been given the much-needed respect which was however not present earlier on a much wider level as now. Now, people have finally realized that although they may be poor in terms of economy but the middle and the upper class cannot sustain without their assistance.

Yes, mom, that is true! But mom, although there is no doubt that what you said is right, says Alisha but since we never employed any house help and all the household work is done by us, so, technically that makes us the house help of our home. So, I think you should respect our labor now and free us from work. Shut up! doing the work of your own house doesn’t make you the worker rather it is your duty, says the mother angrily, and moreover you should be grateful to have your own place to shelter you at this time of the hour. Alright, alright, I was just kidding I apologize mom but before we get back to work you have to promise us you will give us tomorrow of. Fine! exclaims the mother.

You two are so clever, says the mother, you engaged me in the talk and wasted my so much of time and now both of you work quietly and don’t make me talk again. What? We made you talk! You started telling the incident on your own mom. Now, you two have taken enough rest so we can work even more! Both of you come with me we’ll clean the kitchen. What? No! And who said we are fortunate? says Alisha exchanging a helpless gaze with Aryan and both the children exclaims in a sad voice, coming!