I've Got the Power

They say "When I'm right nobody remembers, when I'm wrong everybody forgets." Yet that does not apply to the Iraqi people. Griping over electricity shortage, among many other dysfunctions, may be their all-time favourite subject but when it exists they do express their satisfaction and one could feel hope in their voices.

Personally, I appreciate blackouts as much as I do power presence, so to speak. All the precious moments I tend to treasure have occurred during times of electricity failure.

This sign of civilization seems to have created rifts amongst family members. For instance, my family and I rarely eat on one table. The kitchen table has been crying for mercy. Electricity is culpable for not using the chairs in ages. I, for instance, would rather wolf at my dinner or lunch while watching TV. Mum would be using the internet and step-dad must have found something else to busy himself with.

Once the generator starts chugging all family conversations are put on hold. I have started to enjoy talking to virtual friends and placed chats with mum or step-dad on a backburner. Conversely, only when mum is online I sense how lonely it must have felt for her when I was glued to the PC screen like a statue. I hated myself for glowering at her every time she pops in for a chat, and not surprisingly she did the same.

As luck would have it, things took strange turns within the past week. The street and the 6.5 KV generators both stopped functioning. The state electricity, being the way it is, was not a perfect substitute. Those days were the best of the lot. Instead of staying indoors 24/7 I've decided to grab a paperback and read in the front yard. Not only did I finish a considerable number of pages, I also haven't got the chance to enjoy the warm winter sun of Baghdad in weeks. As for mum, she got back to her yoga, which may look so geeky for the beholder, but with time I saw the positive impact in her attitude. Poor step-dad had to spring to action to repair the generators, otherwise he would be harshly accused of laziness. Not wanting to take the credit for fixing the power-generating set, he asked me to be his apprentice. Recognizing each part's name was not an issue, whenever he wanted me to hand him a tool he would go like, "could you bring me that thingie that looks like this one". Like a robot, I rummaged in his toolbox and found the piece in question in no time.

In the dead of the night, having no electricity at all seemed like a good reason to curse the government, but thanks to human nature, we got used to those power cuts. Strangely, I've started to look forward to those moments before I fall asleep. It is the right time to have a mother-daughter conversation, when mum starts reminiscing her childhood, my siblings' and my naughtiest mischief. She tells me about her future plans and I tell her about mine.

I forgot to say that I've reverted to the good ol' paper and pen lately. Thanks to power cuts, I am now using those two more often. I jot down whatever I have in mind, once Lady Electricity pops in for a short visit I type my scribbles and voila; it's a post.

I hope politicians wouldn't read this. Once they realize people are enjoying the darkness, they might give orders to operate the power plants. We don't want that, do we?


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