Of car servicing, hospital, art and Monal restaurant.

Isn’t life just awesome? So many surprises round the corner. – Might as well enjoy them, even if some of them are quite horrific.

Yesterday, I got the fright of my life. I was busy finally getting the car serviced when I got a call from our batman Sabir, “Baji, your mother’s condition doesn’t look good at all, please come.” At the petrol station, the men were just completing the servicing and the oil change had not yet taken place, I was buying chocolates for Mum, as she loves them, and her sugar had been low in the morning… I went and told the guys to please just stop wherever they are as I have to go, my mum isn’t well. They said “it will only take five more minutes, the oil really needs changing, and you may have to drive the car far…” They were right. So, I asked them to hurry. One of them drove it to the oil change spot, the work began, while the other two hurriedly dried up the car, and wrapped up everything. The bill was also taken care of. “We will pray for your mother, Baji, she will be fine, Insha Allah!” the man said to me, as I hurriedly dashed off.  I had already called Dr. Mehmood who lives nearby if he can visit my mum, but he told me he was in middle of an endoscopy. (He had asked a nurse to take my call, knowing it must be an emergency, God bless him.) He said he’ll come as soon as possible. But it can’t be now.

I had never seen her in such a bad shape before. She was totally unconscious. With great difficulty, Hasnain, Sabir and I placed mum on the wheelchair and then into the front seat of the car. “Sabir, you stay with my father, Hasnain will go with me.” I had already called Waliya who was at a photo shoot. I was really upset. I hadn’t slept enough last night, I was very tired from standing and watching the servicing getting done, and now this!

The moon watched on, as I drove to Quaid-e-Azam Hospital, which took me 25 minutes in the horrid and crazy traffic . All the time, I tried to hold mum’s hand, and once asked her to squeeze it, and she did! Otherwise, there was no response, but I could feel she was breathing.

I had the music on of course, as I drove through the crazy traffic. Asked Hasnain to call wals from my phone and tell her all is in control and carry on with your shoot. There was nothing she could do. Then I asked him to call Dr. Mehmood that he need not come, as I’m taking her to hospital.

The emergency at the hospital was great as usual. Immediately, they started trying to find out what was wrong. The bp was normal, pulse a little high but fine, and it was the sugar which was 28!

The young and scruffy looking tired out doctor Bilal in his casual shalwar and kameez, competently went to work with two assistants. A nurse kept preparing the syringe with some solution while the doc injected it into the canola. The process continued for about five to ten minutes. After that the doc got up and said to Mum “Aunty, please wake up! Aren’t you better?” Miraculously, her eyes opened! She looked around. I went over to her, in tears, and she looked at me. “Who is she?” the doc asked her. “She is my own!”  Mum said in her accented Urdu.

“Your Urdu is very good.” The doc said to her, yes, her English blood shows. Her card for this hospital was already made, when I had brought her two years ago. The blood test even compared with her last results. Within a couple of hours we were ready to go back.

Alhamdolillah!

I had to sit down. It was all too much for me.

I think I’m fully qualified to be an Edhi ambulance driver now. I’ve done this so many times before with each of my parents. But it’s a nerve wracking experience.

As I write now, still recovering from yesterday, both my Mum and Dad are sitting out in the sun having tea! Today is Friday, February 10, 2017

Only, on 8th, I had gone with my two friends Aania and Nayar for judgement of art works at the IMCG Post graduate College. We had been invited for judging the collage work in an Inter-Collegiate program on the occasion of 50^th anniversary of the college. Eight colleges were participating. The best thing was that all the work had been done that morning, in front of the teachers. Our decisions had matched, and the judgment went pretty smoothly. We had got free pretty quickly, and when I was driving back, Aania said, “I don’t want to go home!” and Nayyar said “I don’t want to go either!” I said “fine!” and smiled secretly. I turned the car the opposite way and drove off as they chatted.

I was halfway up the mountain before they realized what I was up to. They couldn’t believe I was driving them to the top of the mountain to the Monal Restaurant. I confessed that it was the first time I was going there driving a manual car. I found it was great. We were all thrilled and decided, it won’t be our last time! Both of them decided to treat me to lunch there and refused to take my contribution.

It is great to have like minded friends who enjoy the same things… surprises, nature, drives and fun. Aaniya took all the photographs on this trip to Monal.

So, that evening when I went to meet my dad, he was all set to meet the Commandant. (at ninety he gets delusional some times.) So, I said “Lets go to meet the commandant daddy, “ I instructed the batman Sabir to have daddy ready, Mum was already skeptical, wondering what I was up to. So, I asked her to join us on our visit to the commandant’s office. It was 6.30 in the evening of February 8^th. I packed both my parents and both my batmen (domestic  helps) in the car and drove off. Daddy was very happy and told the batmen, “See? This is my daughter!”

My plan was all set, we drove off to my favorite Barbecued food place in F-10 of Islamabad. Haji’s.  I rang up Waliya to join us there at the end of her shoot, which she did.

So, we all had a feast of chicken tikkas, palao, chappal kebabs, chicken seekh kebabs and naans with cold drinks. (of course my dad had forgotten about the commandant by now.) We all enjoyed the food. Dad said “This was our best outing!” We got home to have green tea made by Hasnain.

See? I told you, no two days in my life are the same. That’s exactly how I love it! (As long as it is productive.)

Stay blessed lovely (and handsome) ones!