Then and Now...Now and Then, Again

I am back at the window again today with my coffee and I see the group has come to start their day's work. Last week, I had seen them for the first time. What drew me to the window was their noisy arrival in a rickety old vehicle in our quiet neighborhood.  There was a general buzz around the colony as they quickly offloaded the small truck carrying an array of iron poles and other assorted construction material.  Even before I've finished my coffee, the ladies in the group have effortlessly donned shirts over their sarees, giving the much used fashion term Fusion a new meaning. For all the noise on the TV news "shows" about women's empowerment these women have been walking and working alongside the men and are the backbone of most construction sites I have seen. The two young children accompanying them have now developed a routine in the neighborhood without much fuss. The older one has taken charge of the girl who's just a toddler. The mother, I presume, gives some quick instructions before joining the men a little away at the work site. There seems to be a spring in their steps as they get started with the day's work. 

The pandemic lockdowns have affected all of us but the daily wage workforce like this group of construction workers probably were among those who bore the maximum brunt. I am sure 'happy' is a misplaced word here. They must be relieved to be back, working on the site.  

Everyday now I unconsciously wait for them to come to work. They are engaged to repair some of the buildings and also paint the exteriors of the buildings in our colony. They have built a makeshift swing to paint the buildings and the younger boys in the group have been tasked with this. While one of them was painting our building, I almost came face to face with him in the balcony of our third floor flat. He was on the swing with an apology of a safety rope tied around his waist.  How callously we take the safety measures for construction workers is the thought that has been haunting me ever since I've seen them work at such close quarters here. But what got my attention that day, was this boy humming a song while going about his job oblivious to the precarious position he was in. 

Instinctively I warned him to be careful and mindful of his treacherous position and he laughed and said that this was a cakewalk for him! His laughter and my worry were definitely out of sync and for once I decided to go with the hope and optimism that the boy on the makeshift swing so apparently exuded. After all with a major festival like Diwali knocking on our doors, the work that these construction workers have got must be a blessing. Especially after last year's lockdowns and the deadly assault of the second wave, work is a harbinger of good tidings and good times.  The young boy continues to hum as he paints and as I look beyond, I can see the young children of the construction workers playing along with the children of the Colony.  They all have made new friends.  The ladies are laughing and talking loudly as they pass the cement receptacle to the men.  I can hear a hint of happiness in these voices and noises.  I put my worries at bay and compliment the boy on his singing and thank him for brightening up our buildings. 

Yes, the view has changed. From last year's silences and uncertainty, the streets have transformed into noisy and bustling places with people and traffic. The neighborhood is abuzz with noisy playful children and the construction workers going about their jobs. Today I want to put my worries at bay. These scenes seem to herald a new beginning.  We all have borne the cross of Covid in our own ways and are trying to get back to our 'old pre-Covid lives'.  Of course, we all are still cautious, still wary, still skeptical, yet it's time to focus on a more optimistic and hopeful tomorrow.  In our own ways, we all are taking one day at a time, one step at a time and that is the only way forward.  

To me, these construction workers represent a returning to the normal Pre-Covid times. In all honesty, these construction workers have not just brightened our buildings, they have inadvertently brightened our lives a little, I think.