Day 6 – Wednesday, 1 April
Finally, April Fools’ Day has arrived. The joke is on us, though. This so-called virus is making fools of all of us, playing hide-and-seek with our lives, taking away the sick and vulnerable, young and old, isolating the healthy ones, dividing everyone into those fighting the battle on the frontline, and those who are staying behind. My husband and I are in the latter category, and I don’t know how to feel about it. Sometimes I wish I could get involved and do more to fight the good fight.
My consolation, if I can call it that, is my meagre monthly contribution to Meals on Wheels. This local charity provides daily hot meals to homebound, immobile, old, sick and vulnerable people in general. Writing this, I feel better knowing that some of these people would still receive their daily meal during this awful pandemic.
On this note, I am also a keen supporter of animal welfare NGOs and kennels with donations wherever I can, and a firm believer in adopting pets because they are the most beautiful souls in the Universe. It is how we got to save Joseph or JoJo, our youngest furbaby. He’s now a veritable couch potato, keeping my hubby company around the ‘office.’
We are all confined in the safety of our homes, slave to daily routines as usual, but this time, being mostly indoors, the routine shows itself clear as crystal. It feels all days are moulded from the same clay. We wake up and trail our feet to the coffee machine, shower and get dressed, then breakfast and work, not necessarily in this order. Most days we have to carve out time for washing and cleaning since our handy domestic helper is, for her health’s sake, on forced paid leave at least until the lockdown restriction is lifted—more about the cleaning topic in tomorrow’s post.
Like anyone else, I do miss the days when I could go out. I can’t wait for my monthly beauty pamper (I’m giving my nails a forced break now and doing them at home. Hmm). I long for my writing spree in neighbourhood coffee shops, for a change of scenery or meeting the girls for lunch. This thou shall pass, I tell myself. Whatever happens, despite this threatening pandemic, I feel more at peace and content with my life. It is not strange at all. For the first time in a long while, I am so much happier and lighter. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I moved on from last year’s stressful dreading of the inevitable end at my then workplace. I can finally be myself, relax and breathe. Breathe in, breathe out. We are going to be fine, hubby and I.
The first part of today is dedicated to writing, client work and social media updates. On Wednesdays, I like to post #writingwisdom and #wesdnedaywisdom quotes from famous authors. I remind myself that I have to write the ‘day 4 of lockdown’ blog post and publish it. Unfortunately, sharing the blog on social pages will have to wait until tomorrow. The Internet is not cooperating. The mobile Wi-Fi connection is slower than usual because of recent damage to one of the few undersea cables that connect Africa to Europe. We can still email, browse the net or stream music and Netflix, the latter with some difficulty. Some apps are not loading correctly (looking at you, Facebook).
As frustrating as it may be, I go back to my first weeks as a resident in South Africa, more than a decade ago, and my futile exercise of sending emails via an agonisingly slow dial-up connection. How I missed the cable network service in my home country! It wasn’t all bad, though. I used to make a mug of instant coffee just before sending an email. I watched the email being carried to the Outbox while the electric kettle boiled. I went back to the kitchen, poured the hot water over the ground percolated coffee, and mixed it with milk and sugar. I returned with the coffee to check the outgoing email, still suspended in the sending process. Depending on the file size, the file disappeared either before I dipped into my steamy coffee or after I took the last sip and made plans for a second cup. The email went through with a victorious swishing sound. Eureka!
But let’s go back and conclude today’s lockdown activities, shall we? I’m feeling a bit tired right now, so I am going to keep it short.
Food, reading and relaxation are mostly on my mind for the second part of the day. After a moreish brunch of ham, egg and cheese sandwiches, this evening I make a favourite chicken dish of my husband’s, Romanian-style garlic chicken in the pan, this time assorted with rice and vegetables. Yum! I love cooking with garlic for its fulfilling taste and anti-inflammatory properties, which are God-sent in the flu season. Is anyone thinking of a garlic-infused coronavirus vaccine? Hey, it’s still April Fools’ Day, right?