We, the L&M and I, had been watching some show or other a couple of weeks back. It could have been Minions of Midas on Netflix or The Head on Disney Hotstar. Not that it matters. The volume was a little higher than I would have preferred, the L&M liking it that way. The show was interesting and we were totally engrossed in it.

Suddenly I sat up and started twisting this way and that, much as if I was trying to dislodge an ant crawling up my spine. In reality, what I was doing was searching for the missing remote. You know how it is, when you need the all important remote, which till then had been sitting all innocent like on the side table, it decides to go into camouflage mode. Seeing me in action, the puzzled L&M abandoned the show momentarily.

“What’s the matter?” He asked.

“Listen!” I told him, waving him to silence. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” he asked, flummoxed. As far as he was concerned we were doing just that, listening, to the actors on television.

Meanwhile I had caught the remote lurking behind the water glasses and, a bowl of cut fruits all ready to be devoured by contented humans who had finished their lunch. I snatched it off its hiding place and ‘paused’ the show. There was silence, and I asked again,

“Can you hear it now?”

It now dawned on the L&M that I was not referring to the noise from television, but something else altogether. After a few seconds of ‘listening’, he gave his verdict.

“I don’t hear anything.”

“The tap! I don’t think it has been closed fully. Don’t you hear the sound of water trickling?”

The L&M craned his neck to check (it was on his side, plus he is taller) and saw water was indeed trickling ever-so-gently on to the sink. He turns to look at me in amazement. “Your ears! They are something else altogether! How did you even hear that with the television on?” He got up to go and close it fully. “Good God.” he continued, shaking his head, “What will you be hearing next?!”

“Umm.. You know how they say that the silence was so great that ‘you could hear a pin drop’? I bet I could hear that pin drop – that is if someone indeed dropped one – even when the silence is not so great!”

I was so enjoying this, especially since the doctors had told me three years back that I have already lost 30% of my hearing. If this is what the rest can achieve, I for one am certainly rejoicing. I have already told you about my nose which is at par with a bloodhound’s. It looks like the ears I have on me are rather a good enough pair too.

“Too bad your eyes aren’t on the same Grade A level as your nose and ears.” the L&M mused. Sigh. True, that. Astigmatism (plus long sight) is no fun (not that it has ever stopped me from spotting birds!). But there you have it, I rarely recognize people until they are up close, and I am sure there are many quite miffed with me for not smiling back at them. Not my fault, dear ones, blame my poor eyesight.

“Imagine if your eyes were as good as your ears and nose, you could then be a sort of Superwoman. Or Wonder Woman… or any of the others.” remarked the L&M.

“Or I will be Super Shail, thank you!” 😉

© Shail Mohan 2021