The V3 Column

Shaz, Ruwi and Sachi:

Virtual display of old age

May 27, 2061 - 1900hrs

Typing into an extra-sensory brain-powered computer attached to his sunglasses, Junior V3 smiled. He was updating the blog on the seniors’ whereabouts:

Sachi twisted his ankle while playing cricket with his grandson. He was under doctors’ instructions to recuperate. Shaz wanted a vacation from her zillion grandchildren who kept pestering her for sweets, candy and virtual games. Nurse Ruwi decided that she wanted to study medicine and hung around to keep her V3 mates in check.

His limbs were aching, yet Sachi tried to count the number of wrinkles the 74-year-old ‘Hot Number’ had on her forehead: “One, two, three...” Without his knowledge, Ruwi took a big syringe to give Sachi the shot of his daily dosage of medicine.

“Ouch!” exclaimed Sachi, rubbing his bottom. “How dare you sneak up on me! I jumped out of my skin.”

A laughing Ruwi said, “You had the cheek to count Shaz’s wrinkles. Come on, we are all old. I don’t think it’s funny!”

Shaz stretched herself and muttered, “What’s going on? I can’t even get a decent siesta. I feel like it’s thousand times better staying with my naughty grandchildren.”

Sachi raised an eyebrow saying, “See, now she’s got crotchety too. No wonder she has all those wrinkles!”

“I don’t get crotchety!”

“You do!”

“Do not!”

“You do!”

“Enough guys, stop acting like children,” cautioned Ruwi.

“Shaz I’m sorry, it’s just that, now that we’re older, we’re not wiser, we’re all just misers” said Sachi.

“Good. However, an elders’ home isn’t all that bad as you get to mingle with people of your own age, it’s organized, disciplined and it’s fun!” said Ruwi.

“True, it’s good to enjoy the last years of your life instead of poking your nose into your children’s affairs by being a dictator” added Shaz.

Sachi, lying comfortably on his armchair, expressed, “In the West, children are more independent and make their own decisions but in the East we tend to be more our children’s parents.”

“I think Eastern culture offers both sides now but even now children would ask their parents for advice before they take an important decision,” Shaz said.

“Well, many of us prefer it if our parents took care of our children while we go to work because we can’t entrust other people like servants to do the job” continued Sachi, fluffing his pillow and shifting himself to a more comfortable position.

Ruwi, checking her watch, replied, “I see some like spending time with their grandchildren.”

“True, even though they can be a pain, I love my grandchildren” confessed Shaz, a smile lighting up her face.

“My grandchild always wants to hit sixes and fours, and makes me run after the ball,” said a glum Sachi as he nursed his ankle.

“Awww. Poor Sachi, but at least you enjoyed it” soothed Shaz.

“Yes, I did” Sachi admitted, a soft look clouding his eyes.

Ruwi joined in: “You feel younger when you are with your little ones. I feel the same when my granddaughter always wants to style my hair with the latest knots.”

“At the end of the day, we should respect our elders, because we’ll all be senior citizens,” said Sachi.

“We agree,” said Ruwi and Shaz together.

RRRRIINNNG!!

“Great – there goes the supper bell, let’s eat. I wonder if they’ll serve coffee afterwards,” V3 chorused, helping each other to the dining room. They were unaware that Junior had been in the background eavesdropping.

Old habits sure die hard!

Zapping the virtual display from the white screen to the computer, a chuckling Junior V3 sealed the V3 column.

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