Shaken and stirred

It was just yet another evening when Pratap sat staring at the computer screen that displayed the web pages of ‘Oanda.com – the currency site’ speculating over the exchange rates and equivalences of the US dollar, the Indian rupee and the Indonesian Rupiah on which “oh so depended our retirement plans,” in the words of the wise one. I sat on an adjoining chair waiting to chance upon a change in his facial expression to indicate a glimmer of hope…

Things don’t look good I thought – as I felt myself shake. Obviously Pratap was shaking his leg in anxiety resulting in the table shake in unison. Pratap sprang up. “Did you feel that? It’s an earthquake,” he yelled as we sprang into action. The first thing of course was to get into suitable attire, grab our black leather bag, which contains our passports, documents and the ‘emergency fund’. Within minutes – (and we do commend ourselves on the quick reaction time -must be the military environment that was an integral part of our growing up years) we were running down the stairs – sprinting twelve floors with Pratap shooting instructions.

Flushed, wild-eyed and disheveled, leather bag on shoulder, we burst into the reception area. Pleasant conversations fell silent as the Manolo Blahnik pointed toe and stiletto heel clad groups of residents, lounging around in the posh and serene environ threw startled and incredulous glances towards us. Everyone was obviously oblivious of what had occurred. It was a Saturday evening and people were dressed for an evening out. We sat down – catching our breath, clad in our Indian Hawai chappals, dripping in perspiration. Pratap walked around acknowledging the salutation of the receptionist pretending to play calm. Everything seemed normal.

“Go to the mart,” he suggested, “ and buy something” hoping to reduce our embarrassment and hoping to change the perception of those around us while he guarded the black leather case. There were many people at the store and I had to wait to get my turn at the counter. We met at the lift to quietly retreat to our abode – only to find to my absolute horror, as I looked at the mirrors that lined the elevator, that I had worn my shirt inside out with the pockets limply hanging out and the label displaying my ‘not so complimentary’ size for the world and his wife to savour!

Pratap returned to the computer table wondering whether it was the spring of the aging computer chair, or the effect of the fluctuating Indonesian Rupiah that had sent us in a tizzy while I sat and nursed my aching Gastrocnemius (calve muscles for the ignorant) and sore ego.

The next morning had us a lot more shaken and stirred – for The Jakarta Post announced that The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency had confirmed that tremors measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale had jolted Jakarta at around 8:50pm the previous evening. We now sleep in our track suit – and use our brand new ‘Nike’s as bedroom slippers!