"Get washing machine repaired" I jotted on my to-do list, rolling my eyes.
It was 9 am on Saturday morning, and I was still lingering in bed, wrapped in the warm rajai (quilt) protecting me from the cold-hearted air conditioner. Suddenly I heard a series of beeps from the washing machine housed in the bathroom. I recognized the sound — it occurs when the machine is switched off. However, something peculiar followed; it toggled on and off again. I got up and opened the bathroom door. The mischievous ghost who was playing with the machine had obviously disappeared.
I 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 what had just happened. When moisture seeps into the washing machine circuit, it often leads to erratic behavior, causing short circuits that hinder the machine's working. Returning to the room, I made a note to call a technician for a check-up. "Make sure you don't let any water around the buttons, display and top of the machine" I instructed our domestic help when she came in. I 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 someone had kept wet clothes on the machine and water had crept in through the buttons. "And don't start the machine until 2 pm today. It acted up this morning, so giving it some time might just work. It usually does," I declared, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 from past experiences.
The machine did not start at 3 pm when the help tried. I had to call the technician I figured. However, around 4 pm, when our help attempted again, the machine miraculously worked. I 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 that the moisture had cleared up and all was well.
Later, I discovered that the building lift wasn't operational in the morning. Although it started working after a while, it faced issues again in the afternoon. I learned about a problem with one of the phases in our building's power supply that day, causing disruptions in the lift's functioning. This had affected the washing machine kept in the bathroom as well. Either the phase disruption had knocked off all power in the bathroom or had just affected the washing machine which works on higher voltage. Whenever all phases were restored, it worked flawlessly. Each time the phase went off, it prompted the machine to power off with a beep, and its return initiated another beep, signifying a successful restart. Moisture or water played no part in the events of that day, and the machine's circuit was just fine.
Often we think we 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 it all. Sometimes due to our technical knowledge and sometims due to our past experiences. Yet so often we 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 nothing of what just happened, till we actually do.
Ygritte was right about more than just Jon Snow - it applies to all of us.
(If you're not familiar with Game of Thrones, this image is from a well-known scene. Google "famous Ygritte Jon Snow dialogue" 𝘐𝘠𝘒𝘠𝘒.)
