An Eventful 24 hours

 30.6.2021

 

An eventful 24 hours

 

As usual, from as early as 1 am I was already wide awake. Doesn’t matter if I had a early night or a late night . It’s a routine that is difficult to overcome. 

 

After my normal routine, at about 4 am the phone rang. I was expecting it to be a call from son in Cardiff but instead it was my daughter , she sounded weak on the phone. She whispered she was not well. She had her first dose of vaccination on the afternoon of 29.6.2021. This must be the effects of the jab.  So I immediately went to her room. She was on the bed, body shaking rigorously. Her body was burning . Her body temperature was 39.9C. I immediately went down to the freezer to fetch ice packs. Gave her two paracetamol soluble and continued to sponge her down. After a while the temperature dipped to 38 C. She managed to tell me she woke up at about 1 am with a high body temperature. She was  not able to move her limbs  . She struggled to make the call at 4 am after much effort. She thought her hours are numbered. 

 

Soon after my suboh prayers, I fell asleep from exhaustion. Woke up to go to the nearest bank. My debit card was one day to its expiry date. I needed to get it renew.

 

Those days where your new cards get delivered to your doorsteps are over. You want to have new cards, you come get it yourself. They are no longer obliged to serve until the doorstep. So off to the bank. There was once a branch close to home, about 300 m from home. But it was closed down about 2 years ago, before the pandemics. To say that it lacked customers is not true at all. The branch was always packed with customers. So now the nearest branch is at the main wet market ( The KL Pasar Borong). Don’t like to go there. The area is so congested with vehicles. It was supposed to be a way traffic but no one gives a hoot. The shops fronts are constantly littered with betel leaves spit, papers and rubbish scattered as they fancy and of course the lingering stench completes the picture A lot of foreigners manning the various shop lots.  Sandwiched In between these wild disarray  are a few banks and telco shops. 

 

It was a long queue outside the bank . I was person number 12 . The rate of entrance was very slow. About 2 person at every 10 minutes or so. After almost an hour I was at the front of the queue . Still no sign of going in. There were a few individuals who managed to get in straight away. Positive thoughts.. Must be of upmost importance that needed immediate attention. But by then I was tired from all that standing. Decided to voice out to the guard. 

 

Dik.. Makcik warga emas. Dah tak tahan berdiri ni. So right after that he offered his chair next to the entrance door. I sat for about 10 minutes or so . Then I was told to go in . The bank officer in charge exclaimed. But you are not warga emas. I replied --- But I am. Just look at my ID . I am 64. That’s warga emas! You look so young. That’s a compliment, thank you.

 

I was given a number. Went up to wait. Only 3 officers in attendance because  only 3 of the 8 counters were opened. It was quite a long wait. The whole session at the bank lasted for about a 2 hours.

 

Just as I thought all was well for the remaining hours of the day. It was not to be. Immediately as soon as I entered the car, husband was silent in thoughts. Eventually he  showed a message and asked me to read. Not too good. One of the  surau’s regular‘s wife was diagnosed with the covid virus. The not too  happy news to hear was that he was aware his wife was not well for the past 2 days. She went to the clinic the day before to take her swab test. The fact of the matter was he was aware his wife was not well and that maybe  he too could be infected, and yet he still came to the surau. And they had a small round table discussion on the same day he took his wife to the clinic. 

Hmm.. husband was upset he could be carrying the virus and has brought them home to me and daughter. But alas, there is nothing much that can be done. To isolate  in separate rooms? But husband was in contact since the last 3 days or so. Will it make any difference now?  If its there its there. Will isolating oneself after 3 continuous days in contact make any different? I have no answer to that. Will just have to wait and see. Will have to wait and see whether the husband is himself  also infected. Apparently he and all members of the family have received instructions by the health authorities to stay put and not leave the house. 

 

And I do hope he does that, for everyone else's sake.