Sending
clothes for laundry on time can be tricky, in fact very tricky. It is one of
those chores which never reveal their full potential of damaging impact until
the very last moment.
Some
of us complain feeling of sudden nightmarish panic, the kind which wakes you up
midnight, from worrying that they don’t have any pair of formal clothes to put
on for the next day at office. Some have to set constant reminders, on phone
and from family members. Some rely on
the regularity of the visiting washer man for collecting the clothes. And some procrastinate
this ritual till the last possible moment! – I belong to this elite club of
persistent procrastinators!
First
lot, those who get nightmares about running out of clean (read wearable) pairs
of clothes are the luckiest. They have an inbuilt alarm which rings and helps
them avoiding their nightmares turning to reality.
Second
lot have to go through painful questioning everyday! “Have you given your
clothes for washing?” And frankly, it is irritating. Though, quite effective.
Those
who rely on washer-man’s visits are true students of economics. Ceteris paribus,
they will sail smooth. J
Procrastinators
have no pattern; they usually wait for the last day. They are the ones who want
to leave the office urgently abandoning an otherwise important meeting but can’t
really say why. Would anyone believe that “I
can’t attend this meeting as I need to give my clothes for laundry, and should
the laundry shop close, I am afraid but I won’t be able to come to work
tomorrow”?
It
can be understood that we, the procrastinators, live on the mercy of our washer
man. We trust him more than we trust ourselves, for he has to deliver our
clothes washed, cleaned and ironed within one day, or else the day after
tomorrow, we won’t be able to attend the office, because of our meagre buffer
stock of clean clothes.
Recently
I changed my city, and hence the washer man was new, driven by habit, I waited
till the last moment. When I gave him clothes, I told him – with almost teary
eyes- “I only have a couple of pairs left with me, please return my clothes
tomorrow evening. Or else I won’t be able to go to work the day after.” I also explained
that if not all, he will have to at least give me one pair washed, tomorrow, at
any cost.
I
was feeling victorious, as I had managed to give my clothes for washing in the
morning itself, so he had a good day and a half to return them. I sensed that
the possible clothes crunch was avoided, yet again!!
However,
next day evening, when I went to take back my clothes, I did not find him. There
was no trace of the man. Mixed with anger, frustration, panic and worry, I
checked with the security guard immediately. To my surprise he returned my
clothes to me and told me that the washer man had to leave for his village
early morning and had left the clothes with security guard.
I
could understand that he would have worked late night, to finish the job. I don’t
know why he would have to leave so urgently, but in my heart I thanked him
genuinely and wished for his all-round wellness. He exemplified the work ethic
in strange but strong way.
