Backup

2nd April 2025

This happened on a mundane Tuesday morning of my otherwise non-happening life. Having breakfast together as a family is one ritual we try not to miss. After working late till Monday night, I could sense the fatigue in my husband's eyes. The ending of the financial year is no less thrilling than a murder plot scene that is ready to be investigated for its culprit. The man who is a workaholic to the core had a relatively slow pace at everything today. I casually mentioned, "Take a day off na?"
"No, I can't," was his response, which I already knew. He loves his work more than his wife, for sure. But today, his actions did not match his words. "I know you would choose work over me, any given day. But today does not seem to be THAT day. You look tired, so I insist, please take an off", I explained passively.

With a cunning smile, he replied, "My backup is on leave today. He is the one who fills in for me in my absence. Today is the first day of the new financial year, absence of both of us may lead to missing out on something crucial. I have to go."

An unfamiliar silence circulated in the room. To break it, I smiled, and he noticed that. "What?", he asked confused. "Nothing", I replied with an even broader smile raising his curiosity. "I don't have time for your sweet nothings, tell me quickly, or stop giving me that non-decisive smile of yours", he shrugged, irritated.



"I now understand why I can never go on a leave. Because I don't have a backup. Happy, sad, dead tired, in pain, whatever it is, I still have to show up, that too "with a smile", not to forget that. Otherwise, I am asked, "Why do you look so pale? What was it that you did? You were at home only doing chores." Remember, last month you mentioned you would talk to your boss and see if you could join another project. In my case, I don't even have that scope. I am hung in the kitchen, doing dishes, mopping, cleaning, dusting, laundry, caretaking, and supervising for this lifetime of mine. Daily the same chores, almost the same sequence. I wish I could join a different project too..." She paused to breathe. "You ask me na, why I am not as excited as you are whenever you plan an outing or vacation? That is because, I keep doing chores till it is time to leave and even after we return, I do not have the liberty to rest and sleep. At the time of festivals, it is even worse. We have to do all the preparations to celebrate, cook special meals, then dress up and look pretty too. Isn't that too much?"

"You and your overthinking travel too fast in too little time", with that remark he picked up his towel and headed to the bathroom for a shower after which a crisp, ironed maroon shirt waited for him.

Not everybody is lucky to have a backup, a homemaker does not have one. Do you have a backup?

"I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z"