It is true that offences are inevitable as long as social interactions continue among humans, especially with our varied perspectives and differences in opinions but the tendency for offences are heightened in situations when we lose control. And previously predictable answers no longer satisfactorily answer the same questions as of old.

Because of how it has caused many people to lose control of things they once thought to be firmly under their control, coronavirus-induced mania has heightened the tendency for offences, dragging widespread frustrations along as its accomplice.

Gug Gyana did not know that when he entered the new season, the components in the air had some new additions. Suddenly, he was being irritated by things he would have overlooked previously. He was beginning to notice flaws and mistakes he did not ‘see’ before. And make a big deal out of them. By the time he realized his need for new sets of filters (we are talking of respiratory droplets and face masks everywhere these days) he had lost his beautiful car.

As he walked through the gates of his office one morning, a young man he had not seen before, whom he assumed would be in his early twenties, walked past him without showing him any courtesy. He didn’t behave as if he had just walked past an older person. So Gug charged at him, gave him some tongue- lashing over his bad manners before walking him out of the compound. He left him outside the gate and went into the office (never giving any thought as to what the smartly dressed young man was looking for in his compound).

Some minutes later, Gug got into his car and drove off. He was going to see a roadside vulcanizer to fix one of his tires that required fixing. He didn’t notice that the young man was still at the gate.

When he got to the vulcanizer’s spot, the parking lot was full so he parked his car angrily on the other side of the road. And charged out. His mind was so full of the vulcanizer that he forgot to lock his car. He met him as he was pulling out a flat tire from another car. And began to urge him to follow him to his car to fix one of his tires. The vulcanizer pleaded with him for some time but he angrily threw him the ‘I’m your customer card,’ which the vulcanizer reluctantly collected. And left all to follow him.

Unfortunately, when they got to where he parked the car, it was gone. He knew not where.