'The green has gone, yellow starts
blinking and now comes red. Again, we are stuck in the traffic block. If it is
like this, I don’t think we will reach there on time,' my husband said
restlessly. We were going to church in a taxi, since our car was in the workshop and got
serious work. We had to take our children to the catechism
class first. Every week, going to catechism is a special event. It’s like
hurrying, rushing, running and at last when we reach there, we will be just on
time. Added to all these, on the way we had to pass three big traffic signals.
This week we started early. Because
first of all, we need to get a taxi in that early hour. Also, we couldn’t miss the
catechism class because it was important as the holy week was nearing. We waited there for some time. And at last, when we got a taxi, we
were stuck in the terrible traffic jam! Reaching there we got out of the taxi
and literally ran to take them to their classes. My daughter went straight to
her class panting breathlessly. The catechism teacher looked at her in great
surprise. At first, we didn’t understand anything. Again, in my son’s class, he
got the same reaction from the teacher. Also, there were only a few children in
the class. I looked at my watch. ‘My Goodness!’ I couldn't believe. We were fifteen minutes ahead
of time. The catechism teachers were shocked to see our children coming that much early to the classes.
My
husband said, ‘Wonderful! We are early today. The efforts were not in vain. But the
thing is that we can’t move anywhere.' Usually, it was the time we go for
our weekly purchases and would come back in a hurry to join the catechism holy mass. 'Today, no need of any hurry. And we got almost one and a half hour before the
mass. What a paradoxical situation!' I said thoughtfully. Then my husband said, ‘It’s quite a lot of time.
Let’s go and sit there on that bench. When the holy mass starts we will join.’ He showed a bench which was kept at a
corner near the wall. ‘It’s so sad that we don’t have our car
today,’ I said regretfully. As there was no other choice, we sat there in the church courtyard.
We could see different kinds of people coming and going. Another thing we noticed was that almost everyone who came there stopped infornt of us, and would keenly watch for some time, then took their mobiles out and clicked a picture. Everyone did the same. I told my husband, ‘Why these people
are taking our picture? Some are even taking videos.’ My husband said, ‘Yes,
everyone does the same.’ I thought for some time and exclaimed, ‘We have become so
popular, that’s why we are followed by paparazzies.’ I tried to crack a joke. Then I said
with a regret, ‘If I knew this before I would’ve dressed up a little more carefully.’
Then my husband said, ‘me too.’ Anyway, the whole affair had become tedious. That long sitting had made us really uncomfortable. I told my husband, ‘It is said that, if a person sits down continuously
for more than three hours, he loses one year of his life span. And we have been
sitting here for more than an hour. That means almost half of three. If we are
not moving until now, we are going to lose half a year.’ Then my husband smiled and said ‘Yes dear,
let’s go to washroom, get fresh and come back. The mass is going to begin.’
We got fresh and came back to take my
bag from the bench. Then only we noticed that there was a display board just
above the bench, where we were sitting. As the holy week was nearing, they were
showing the mass timings on it. We saw the mass timings scrolling on the display
board. I read, ‘Maundy Thursday: 5.30pm & 7.00pm. Good Friday: 5.00pm & 7.00pm.
Holy Saturday: 6.00pm & 10.00pm. Easter vigil: 11.30pm. Easter Sunday: 7.00am.’ I smiled with surprise and said, 'Almost everyone might have got our picture along with the mass timings. We have
been like brand ambassadors.' We looked at each other and laughed at the folly. We too took
our phones and clicked a photo. Say cheese.
After the mass we took our children
from church and rushed home because next day was their last exam of the academic year. Children suggested, ‘What if we walk a certain distance and then call
a taxi when we get tired.’ Their father said, ‘If you are ready to walk till
the supermarket, we will do the weekly purchase too.’ Everyone agreed. We
started walking enthusiastically. At every junction my husband told the
children with a smile, ‘Now, only two more buildings to pass.’ I
thought, two came twenty-two times. Anyway, it was a wonderful walk.
After the
purchase with a little paining leg, we got into a taxi. Children asked their
father with a naughty smile, 'Father, now how many more buildings to pass?' Their father said nodding his head, ‘Just two more buildings.’ When we all
nodded and laughed at each other, we saw that we are in another traffic jam.
Wish you all a prayerful holy week
and a joyous Easter.
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