Lock down blues
I took up archery in March just before the lockdown. Fortunately, my beginner's bow and 6 arrows arrived before the lockdown started. I had two classes and then the instructor couldn't come. Left to fend for myself I watched youtube videos to hone my technique.
"You need to shoot 10000 arrows before you become proficient," said Lars Anderson, the most incredible archer I have seen. (I have not seen too many, but he seemed as good as William Tel)l.
I managed to break an arrow. Another went into the garden and disappeared for good.
Left with only four arrows, I got tired of retrieving them.
I wrote to several websites Amazon, Flipkart, Decathalon for arrows.
"NO No No" they said, "we can only ship essential items.
Who decides if arrows are essential or not? High-calorie cookies, however, were classified as essential!
Finally my teacher, after listening to my constant wailing said, "I have found a tribal. He makes arrows ."
"Out of what ?" I asked.
"Bamboo."
"But, I protested, "the bamboo market is closed."
I did not add that it was lucky for me. When the market is closed the area is wide enough to drive through. I can reach my clinic bypassing the COVID police barriers. It cuts 6 km from my drive.
"You have bamboo trees growing along your perimeter. He will cut it from that.
He arrived a day later with the dirtiest man I have seen of indeterminate age. He smelled like an overripe jackfruit. He wore a loincloth, turban and several bead chains. He also had a new clean mask on. I doubt that any self -respecting virus would go anywhere near him!
"I got him the mask," said the instructor.
"How did you come? What about the check posts?"
Apparently, the drove along the base of the hills around Bagayam from whichever jungle this man came from.
He demonstrated his shooting technique. He used archery to catch fish. He had a string tied to the end of his arrow and a very ordinary-looking bamboo bow. Not like my hitech expensive fancy one. He caught fish from a pond with this device. Once he hit the fish he just pulled it out with the string!
I don't know how he corrected for refractive error or the shooter's paradox. Arrows don't go straight,they travel in a parabola. I was lost in admiration.
He came to the clinic a few hours later, sat down in a corner of the waiting room and proceeded to make arrows. A ripe odour filled the clinic.
Without being told, patients tied their masks around the noses and not on their mouths and chins. They maintained social distancing and then some. I did not have to keep coming out of my room saying "mask, mask! All alternate chairs have to left empty!"
He finished work by evening.
"Pay him," I told the manager. "we need to put him on the payroll. He will be coming every two months."
"what's his name?"
I had no idea. "Write Ragu," I said "it is a nice neutral name."
"What about his Adhaar no?" asked the manager.
He didn't appear to have an Adhaar card, But he had a cell phone, which he used dexterously though he could not read or write.
"Just write down his cell number everywhere," I said, "if the government comes sniffing around, let them track down his Adhaar number! After all, that is the way we are planning to contact him."
I have still not received my arrows from Decathalon. With the extension of the lockdown, I guess I will be dealing with Raghu for some time to come.
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Great post and great method to follow for social distancing- no baths, no change of clothes etc..,
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