Note from the next room

"Are we all out of onions?"

"Pay the daycare tuition, we are past due"

"I need your help with polynomial division"

"I can't take her to dentist tomorrow"

"What's for lunch? I am hungry"

"Where is the tape measure"

"Can you turn the AC on please, it's too hot in my room"

Those are some of the recent messages in our family whatsapp group. In most cases, if not all, sender and receiver were under the same roof, just in a different room, a few feet away. We use whatsapp to jot down grocery lists. We use it remind us of doctor's appointments. We use it to talk about our little one's adventures at daycare. We even use it for arguing and fighting. Not sure when our family switched from talking with each other in person to exclusively whatsapp'ing, but we did. Even our little one records audio messages in our family group- "nanna, can you get me some water please". What would we even do without Whatsapp, I often wonder.

I got the answer in the form of this note my mom wrote to my sister. My sister's family arrived from  Assam at wee hours that night and would be quarantining in a room next to my parents'. Mom included details of all the food there is to eat and the areas of the apartment they can freely use. It was a simple letter, with basic instructions, nothing fancy. Yet, these handwritten notes somehow have the warmth that is unmatched to anything we could read in whatsapp. I used to occasionally slip such notes into Raaga's lunch box, pre-pandemic. Perhaps I should start sliding them under the doors? Put them inside the microwave? I am inspired!

Mom's note to my sister:

There's two containers full of yogurt and one container with milk in fridge. Another batch of yogurt is getting ready on the counter. This box has pulihara from Rajeshwari aunty's home. Kids can use the TV room and also the bathroom there. Try the ginger chutney. Put any leftovers in fridge.