Slice of time...

It is a hot spring afternoon. The morning started with a visit to the police station - not the choicest of places one would visit, only it was mandatory. There was a pile of paperwork and files across all the desks there. The constable/inspector in front of me had stapled and unstapled my documents for the nth time, before he finally got them right. He was not in uniform and he does not sport a badge. He kept disappearing into a small room with one of the people in front of me. This happened more than once, with all those before me - 'hafta' was the obvious conclusion. I wanted to get my work done too, and I obliged with the amount. This is the first time I have greased the corrupt system, but my excuse is mine. I need the verification speeded up. I despised him as much as I did myself.

We discussed corruption on the ride home, my mil and me. I was indifferent as well as stuck with 'deer in the headlights' feeling. I have a blinkered perspective on this, focused on only getting my work done. I spared a thought momentarily to my voluntary contribution to the collective corruption mechanism. I cringe on the inside, I can't claim any high ground. I have paperwork deadlines. Once this is ticked I already have something else lined up...Maybe I should put it up on Ipaidabribe, a bribe confessions website. Huh, would do a fat lot of good.

The experience was exhausting on various levels. This was rather too soon after a day spent at the passport office for passport renewal. Or maybe it was general anxiety and the sun and the half a km walk to the photocopy shop.  A siesta was a welcome proposition and I had fallen into a fitful slumber...only to be brought back to wakefulness to what seemed like bricks being arranged on my head. That could only be 'Stacker' - my elder one who had earned this nick for her obsession with order could not wait to arrange books over my sleeping self. Half awake, half asleep, it was in any case an unsanctioned nap. I  have always been my most critical censor at all times.

The afternoon tea was had with usual accompaniment of biscuits. Homework dealt with. This year we do not have final exams with the portions for the whole year and are rather confident of ourselves. In the evening I tried to distance myself from the whole experience by doing some swift walking in the park. In the rather vain hope that the repetitive rhythm would also dissolve some stubborn fat from my body.

This was 4 days ago. I check the status diligently n number of times a day. The status is stuck at 'physical verification at police station', not unlike a few other slow-moving aspects of life. One of the many things that I can't speed up, even with the push of a million thoughts... and towards what end? If only I had an answer to that other than the obvious...All in good time....