Day 5 – Tuesday, 31 March
It’s hard to believe that, just two weeks ago, we were leaving the Kruger National Park and heading home after a brief three-days holiday. We couldn’t have imagined, at the time, the prospect of a national lockdown and strict travel restrictions. The coronavirus threat was in its infancy in South Africa, the country protecting itself against the influx of Chinese tourists. China had been then the COVID-19 hotspot, the virus rapidly spreading its sticky tentacles to European countries. Hence there were fewer tourists than usual in the natural reservation – I’ve heard some Hungarian, American English, French and Spanish spoken – even when considering that March is the lower season.
Some days ago, I read in the local news about a twenty-five-year-old French tourist who visited the Park and was diagnosed positive for coronavirus. He had entered the Park with a group of other Frenchmen on 19 March, the same day my husband and I left. It took a while for the authorities to quarantine him and his travel companions once he developed the symptoms and sought medical help. Thankfully, hubby and I are safe.
While Kruger Park may seem the perfect self-isolation place due to the vast spaces, remote camps and sparse travellers, not even this haven is left untouched by this invisible enemy. At present, the Kruger National Park, easily our favourite destination spot in South Africa, is closed to visitors. For the first time in history, the Park’s gates will not see streams of travellers driving their cars through its many camp gates, from early sunrise to sundown. But I digress.
Today, on the last day of March, we are back at the hospital for a very brief consultation, the visitors’ screening procedures at the building entrance unchanged from previous days. We don’t have to leave home early at the birds wake-up call, and there is plenty of time for the morning coffee ritual and intermittent work.
Back home, my husband goes straight to his improvised desk and resumes his emails, phone calls and software simulations. I follow my to-do list diligently: finish writing the ‘day 3 of lockdown’ blog for my online journal; update social media pages; plan a client’s newsletter campaign after yesterday’s follow-up call; launch Facebook ad campaigns for my children’ book series, Snowflake the Cat; and continue my novel, ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow,’ to reach beyond 41k words. I plan to complete and post the subsequent blog ‘day 4 of lockdown’ the next day. It seems my inspiration has finally returned after some days of writer’s block, and I can move my ploy forward beyond fourteen chapters. I do a happy dance at my desk. The next blog can wait.
I work on my manuscript in the late evening, after we had our share of Netflix and dinner – pasta bolognese, a favourite dish in the house. I’ve initially planned to make a salad and eat more greens, but I’m in the mood for warm, comfort food. It must be the cold and overcast weather that has decided to linger.
Chased by the cold, the dogs are in the house, curled on the couch like good boys. They have finally settled down, after going crazy around the living room and chasing away the cat like the bad boys they are. You can’t fool Mommy that easily, you know, boys. I know exactly what you are up to these days, and my husband can finally see that, too. I can’t always be the bad cop in this relationship. Joke aside, my fluffies are adorable angels. I can’t imagine my life without them running amok in the house like a pack of wild dogs on the hunt. Woof.
There’s a delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen – hubby’s latest cooking experiment, homemade fudge. The smell of burnt sugar and frothing milk is divine. I don’t have to wait for too long to sample the first batch of sweet, dreamy, yummy fudge. My MasterChef is doing better than ever. I secretly wonder what he’ll try his hands at tomorrow.
A parting word. It’s safe to say that ‘summer moved on,’ in those lyrics I so love from the ’80s band A-ha. Maybe I’ll post the video of this beautiful song on Facebook. Too late. I’ve already posted one of my absolute favourites, ‘In the Air Tonight’ by the legendary musical genius Phil Collins. Next time, then. April is on its way.