I do not know whether we will meet the October 15th deadline. Nevertheless there is a palpable sense of excitement in the air. Painters, plumbers, electricians and masons fight for space and are trying to finish their work.
The ladies are running helter skelter ensuring that nothing gets lost or broken with all the moving. Tempers are sometimes frayed and D our coordinator and lone man remains cool and always finds the right word to soothe the sulks and huffs.
In the midst of this frenzy are the children who have adopted us and the space they consider theirs. They come without fail and are loathe to leave. I guess their deadline passed long ago as for them we should have already been operational!
Women drop by too; by curiosity or just to share a moment. They are thrilled that soon the children will stop hanging around and be occupied. Some want a job, other want to learn a skill. But all are happy to have us there.
A single mother came by. Her husband left five years back for greener pastures in Bombay leaving her pregnant and alone. For us it was a great moment as she vindicated the spirit of the women's centre.
Somehow it seemed that even before the centre actually opened its gates, it had taken off on its own driven by an ethereal energy emanating from the heavens above.Labels: women centre