It's been a traumatic weekend in Madras and I live to tell the story! It has been over cast and raining constantly for over 10 days and our poor city just cannot take it.
On Saturday, we were to go for this annual ball which is a very formal event, to start off with anyway. It's quite funny actually, the first few times I attended such events, I always felt like Eliza Doolittle at the race!! I've now become comfortable attending these events(as long as it isn't too often!) and quite enjoy getting dolled up for it. I pampered myself with a pedicure and manicure. I indulged even more by getting my hair done in ringlets...my poor hair needs therapy, just as it's getting used to being straight(after being wavy for 25 odd years) I decide to confuse it again and curl it. I wore my designer dress that has been in the closet(lol) for a good 3 months waiting for this event, I even wore my precious diamond jewelry. Ok before I bore the men folk reading this....basically I went all out....
We had a pretty good time but as we left the hotel reality sort of set in while we drove through flooded main roads. As we turned onto the road where we live I was just about to destress when we saw the water level was so high, we could have used a boat instead of a car....thus Renie's wiseguy comment! Well the engine of our car died right in the middle of the road....wish we had that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car...does anybody else remember these movies...or is it only me?
We waited for a few minutes as my husband got restless and insisted that we walk it to our house. But...I'd had a pedicure, I was wearing a new dress and my shoes...my beautiful shoes!!!! Apart from all this, I have always felt disgust and sympathy at the same time whenever I looked out of my car window and spotted people wading through stagnant rainwater....yes I can be snobbish however hard I try not to be! So I refused to get out of the car, I had my feet on the seat as the water was now flooding the bloody car. I waited it out for almost an hour before our driver said to me in a very sympathetic tone that the only option was to wade through the water upto our apartment. So I put on Martin's dinner jacket, took off my shoes and hiked my dress up and walked through the water(the water was almost upto my waist)....it should have taken about 10 to 15mins but it seemed like a lifetime. I felt extremely emotional and humiliated for some reason, but I also felt grateful...it's amazing how strangers can help you and give you courage....there was this lady who offered to walk along with me to sort of guide me, as the roads(that we could not see) were broken and we needed to avoid the ditches. I finally made it home, we had to take the stairs as even the lift was flooded.
I made sure I had a good long hot shower when we made it back ....the story does not end here, well not quite anyway. I couldn't sleep after all that drama, so I decided to make a cup of tea. As I walked into the kitchen I failed to notice water streaming into the apartment under the main door. So...yes I slipped and fell down really badly on my right arm - the one that I had broken about 15yrs ago. I screamed and cried, probably waking the whole building early Sunday morning. All that Yoga and Weight Training for my weak right elbow gone to waste. It is now as weak as it was when I had the fracture 15yrs ago. Well anyways the only good things to come out of the whole ordeal -
I was forced to make the long overdue trip to Vellore...I need to go more often.
I had a story to tell on my blog!
I don't go all snobbish when I see poor souls walking through the floods...well not yet anyway!
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3 comments:
Well done pulster...and you poor thing!
It brought back memories of your wedding (if that will throw a good dry spin on the wet events)
Never would have had you down for a snob though. What put that idea in your head?
HAHAHAHA!!! I dont think you're a snob tooooooooo :P !! But you know I would have hated it equally (maybe just a little less than you)! Cant believe you actually walked!!! And wats with the arm, did you break it or wat?
Hahahaha...i know im laughing now, but as punishment Im sure it will happen to me sometime soon...
Btw sent you mail, please check i say!!
hehe..must have been quite a night. I had to walk through dirty rain water once too (last year!) but I wasn't in a fancy dress. I'm sure I would have been as upset as you if I was. oh well, like you said...atleast it makes a good blog entry! :p And it makes us seem less snobbish for atleast those minutes. You're right about finding nice strangers in times like this though.
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