14.2 Lockdown

“So!” I gasped, “What do I do with Sophie?”

“Why don’t you go in and hit the buzzer? Find out if she’s up there,” ridiculed Half Tone.

“You think I don’t have guts to do that?” I voiced another mistake.

“I damn well bet you do not have guts,” grunted Half Tone, “If you ring that bell, I will walk on my hands, concha!”

Without a word I began to walk towards Marine Drive. I knew I didn’t have the guts to do it but I was just showing off. Her place stood a little over hundred metres from battery park. I walked instead of taking the bike.

I reached the boutique front of Sunrise Villa and there I came across a big guy seated on a motorcycle. He wore a plan white shirt. When you see a guy seated on a Suzuki GSX R750, he is a big guy. He began to eyeball me from a distance. Unfortunately, I noticed him at a span to his bike.

“Kid!” he called, “Where do you come from?”

“From Safa,” I replied.

“What are you doing here?” he asked blankly in his authoritative voice.

“My friends.”

“Are you a Varado?”

“Yes sir!” See! I did have to pull off immediately and I did not come to a full halt, never did I cross my eyes with him. I hastened my steps and continued walking up the road without even looking at the fence painted white. That was my dad.

He did not recognise me but something deep inside stirred to reflect on me and enquire. I did not give it away. I circle around the beach to get back to battery park and did not mention it to my friends. There were many things I did not mention to my friends. They still do not know that Sophie Nadz invited me to her place.

Things took a different turn when I returned to Safa that day. I picked the bag from the floor and entered my room.

The lockdown was initiated. We have not heard about the status of the wrecked ship. It was not on the television media. Now the talk was of lockdown.

The lockdown took into precautionary measures in response to a threat or scares of exposure to radiation in the island. Public was asked to remain indoors mostly. Schools were closed. Offices and shops to remain open. Delivery services to be organised. Cafés and pubs to cut down services by half. Hospitals and other such amenities to remain open. No traffic allowed other than on emergencies. No vessels to leave port. All the beaches closed. Nothing to be harvested from the fields and eaten in the meantime. New Year events cancelled. The list goes on.

That Brando Mayor is crazy, I thought. I did not have enough food in my fridge but good enough to last a couple of days. I certainly did not take this lockdown so seriously. I was thinking it would terminate in two days and right on time for the New Year. No Varada would stay home then and no beaches could be closed.

I started on the main section that Shalin vacated, turned on all the lights and began to mop those beautiful tiles singing Riders on the Storm.

“Hello!” There was somebody at the door on the steps of the entryway. I thought it was Shalin who came to collect the security deposit so I stepped out diligently posing nude.

It was Stella and the other girl was Shehenaz. I was taken aback, “You!”

“It’s alright,” waved Stella, “this a random check to find out how many are staying here.”

“Only one,” I muttered holding the mop in one hand, “Hey Shehe! Why aren’t you wearing a headscarf?”

She frowned at me placing a finger on her lips. She wore wavy short hair and bony thin, a skeletal figure. Both wore a uniform; moss green straight pants and olive green buttoned-up shirts with short sleeves. Stella with three golden stars on the shoulder straps and Shehenaz without them.

“Your mobile number?” Stella continued.

Shehenaz opened the gate and a guy in a white overall passed her a bundle wrapped in plastic. There was a white van parked outside my gate. They sent teams out to the blocks and houses.

“This is your emergency package,” she explained as I received the bundle from Shehenaz, “Read the leaflet and the instructions carefully. If you get YELLOW ALERT on your mobile or if it is aired on TV or radio, you must wear this kit when you come out. You’ll find step by step instructions how to decontaminate the environment and yourself after radiation exposure. Stay indoors and drink only bottled water.”

“Are you serious about this?” I asked.

“Yes, this is very serious,” said Stella.

“What about iodine?” I am not a radioactive guy or a radiation expert but I asked about something I heard somewhere.

“Iodide, Neupogen, DTPA, calcium and medical supplies will be delivered later, maybe tomorrow.”

“Hold on! Hold on! What did you say?”

“Kawla, we can’t wait now. Read the instructions, okay!” And they were gone.

I stepped out of the gate blindly to watch them move towards the next gate and the white van following behind slowly.

We don’t run into trouble but rather trouble gets in our way. I took the bundle to my room and pulled on my shorts and a shirt just in case radiation might catch me. I returned to work at the rent-out rooms.