Back to gym

Mira and me have been going to the gym again. We had taken a three-month membership in March, a week before everything closed on account of COVID-19. Mira had insisted on joining the day her exams got over. Though I had my reservations about coronavirus then, I didnt express it as it wasnt yet a serious threat. But in a week things changed. Ash wrote two of his Board exams wearing masks and under high security at OOEHS.

Gyms opened again in Sharjah in August, or was it July? I dont remember. Anyway, aerobics started only in August, and the trainer as usual bunked once or twice a week since there were very few attending the morning sessions. In two weeks time I decided to stop until they found a more reliable trainer. The receptionist sweetly promised to put us for zumba classes instead once they found a person in October. Mira had the option of joining the evening classes at 6 or 7 pm - while I got busy in the kitchen - but she gave excuses that her exams were coming and she would be tired if she went to the gym. But I think the actual reason was the Netflix movies and video calls with her friends.

Anyway, in late September I learnt much to my shock that the gym-salon had changed hands and the receptionist who promised us everything had left. 

Instead we had the Nigerian cleaner, who until then invoked our sympathy and seemed such a paavam (harmless, poor thing), acting as the new manager/receptionist and dictating new terms. We were told that old pending memberships wont be valid anymore. I fought our case and insisted we be given the two remaining months of training, and so now we are going to the gym at 6 pm. I try to make time for it between work and dinner preparation. Like us, there is a daughter-mother pair attending the 6 pm session. We enjoy their company but occasionally we have a couple of other unwelcome faces (a haughty Pak lady especially,

who I think hates Indians or at least the two of us, so we make a mutual attempt at ignoring each other)  joining us.

I tell Mira I feel like a nursery school kid being forcibly sent to school. We force ourselves to go each day, though once we are there we dont actually mind it.