There was a song

There was a song.

There was a song called “All alone” (Irving Berlin).  I am all alone now. My boyfriend has left  me .  Why do I feel sorry for myself? A lot of people are alone, isolated, in quarantine.  We are all in quarantine. Everyone in the world is in quarantine. Quarantine- a restriction of the movement of people. We are all in the same boat.  

I am isolated in my apartment, single , without a partner. There is no relief from my own company. Twenty -seven years old and I am locked up or “Locked down” as the saying goes. Lockdown, what does it mean? Before the year 2020 “lockdown” meant the confinement of prisoners to their cells for security. Now there is a new meaning. Everyone experiencing the year 2020 will now know “lockdown” to be a restriction of the movement of people. Lockdown is one of the prime quarantine strategies to control the spread of the virus Covid 19.

Of course people are allowed to go out of their homes, for some specified reasons. I can go to the shops to buy food, by myself. I can go for a walk, by myself. There is no getting away from myself and I am not a good person to be my own companion right now!

The weather is warm and sunny. They say wild animals and birds are having a feast day with no humans around to bother them. “ Thank goodness”  the animals  say to each other. “Thank goodness” the birds twitter from the trees. “The humans are lying low. The humans are scarce.”

 A polecat was seen scurrying along the footpath in our suburb two days ago, by a jogger and was captured on camera. What else is scurrying around unnoticed by the humans? Humans, impossible creatures!

People are exercising by the hundreds, all intent on keeping fit, wearing masks. The park areas are swarming with hundreds of potential athletes. There is hardly enough room for social distancing. “Social Distancing”, now there is another new concept. We are supposed to stay two metres apart. The joggers do not seem to be aware. I guess they forget, while they exercise with such concentration. They run three abreast and others have to get out of their way.

We are told to wash our hands every time we think we have touched something that might have the virus. I have seen and known people in the past, who never seemed to wash their hands. Have they changed their way of life now because they are told what they must do?

People are living in terror, especially old people. They are too frightened to go out, even to buy food. They try to get food delivered to their homes. Their children boss them around and tell them they are not allowed to go anywhere. This makes the isolation seem worse. It is like living in solitary confinement.

Truth is stranger than fiction, so they say. Can you really believe all this is happening right now?

My best friend and companion is an inanimate object that just happens to be a cell phone.  I keep looking at the whatsapp messages. Sometimes I look at the messages, after only a five minute interval.

The days and the hours drag by. All the gyms are closed. If I could go to the gymn I would be getting exercise and keeping fit and getting rid of negative feelings. The gyms are closed more or less all over the world.

I see the photo of a dog on my whatsapp page. Do I know this contact? I can’t seem to indentify it. Has it only popped up now?

I will send the dog  a whatsapp message.

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Whatsapp: Who are you? I see a picture of a dog. Are you a Dog?

Dog: I am not a dog. I am a man.

Whatsapp: Why do you present yourself then as a dog? Are you afraid of showing yourself ? Are you bald? Are you ugly? Do have a beard? I hate men with beards! I hate all men!

Dog: This is a photo of my dog. His name is Algy. He is a dog to dote on. I will ignore your questions. They are beneath my notice.

Whatsapp:  I don t agree that your dog is doteable . I think he looks vicious; long nose, big teeth!

Dog: Well, you do not know him as I do.

Whatsapp: No and I do not want to know him. How did you/he get on my whatsapp list?

Dog: How should I know? Strange things happen with the new technology, don’t they?

Whatsapp: I am going to bed now. See that you have gone in the morning.

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I make some cocoa and go to bed with it. Small comfort!

Next morning:  I potter around the apartment. Make breakfast. Eat it, all alone. Make coffee. Drink it, all alone. Water the plants. Scrub the kitchen floor. No one else is around to do this!

I pick up my cell phone and look at the day’s messages. So, he has not removed himself.

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Dog: I am still here! (time sent-6.30am, he gets up early)

Whatsapp: So I see.  Of course I can just delete you from my list. It is easy to do but I thought that you could at least be polite and show your face and give your proper name before I delete you.

Dog: Why don’t you just keep me on your list? Everyone needs all the friends they can get,  these days. I can be your friend. Keep me on!

Whatsapp: OK, just for now then. I am actually finished with men, and regard them as the lowest form of animal life!

Dog: Why is that?

Whatsaspp: My boyfriend of three years, ran off with his best friend’s girlfriend. How is that for a two-faced, arrogant swine?  Friend appears three times in that one sentence. And you say people need friends?

Dog: Of course they do. Stop sounding so bitter. Get over it, or you will end up sour faced and ugly with a chip on your shoulder. You look very pretty, and if you submit  yourself to such emotions, you will spoil your looks the way you are carrying on.

Whatsapp: Do I detect some kind of backhanded compliment there? How do you know what I look like?

Dog: Take it or leave it.

Whatsapp:  I will leave it, thank you very much.

Dog:  OK, I see you are quite touchy. How do you feel about meeting another prospective partner in life?

Whatsapp: I will never expose myself to another relationship with the opposite sex. I have learned my lesson. Men are not to be trusted. They are totally directed by their hormones. They are without decent feelings. They have no sense of loyalty or commitment.

Dog:  I totally disagree with you there my fair lass. Men can be just as faithful in love, as any female.

Whatsapp: How do you know the colour of my hair and I am not your fair lass!

Dog: Well we will see about that.

Whatsapp: What are you talking about now. Who are you and where are you?

Dog: Name is Martin and I am upstairs right now.

Whatsapp: How can you be upstairs? There is no upstairs.

Dog/ Martin: I live in the apartment above yours. I moved in four months ago. Two months before “Lockdown.” I changed the wheel of your car in the car park, my first week here. You had a puncture and I was conveniently in the vicinity. By the way, lovely legs . I had a good view of them while I was changing the wheel on your car.  Care to give me a try? We can keep in touch via Whatsapp in the meantime. Keep our social distancing as it were, until the end of “lockdown” Hope it comes soon.

Whatsapp/me: Well , maybe, yes. Ok. I remember you well.

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I remember the young man who saved me that day, from being late at the hospital where I work. He saved me from a run in with the matron. The matron is a tyrant and you dare not be a minute late.

I think maybe I will give it a try as he says.

When will the quarantine end?