Everybody needs a Jigsaw

Is today Monday 6th or is it Tuesday? No, it has to be Monday. Yesterday was definitely Sunday because my son rang me. I pondered this big question as I lay in bed waiting to face yet another day.

Was that my doorbell ringing? I hadn't heard it for weeks. It was only 10.30 in the morning and I wasn't dressed yet. Who can be calling to my house, especially at this hour? Don't they realise I'm in Lockdown and may not be ready to face the world? After all, I can get dressed at any time now, some days I don't bother. I better get up and answer it - must be some sort of emergency. Maybe one of my elderly neighbours needs help.

"I'm coming" I shout out my bedroom window at the anonymous caller. "Hold on, I'll be down in a minute."

I brushed my greying tresses, six weeks with no colour made my hair resemble one of those mangey old foxes I'd often see at dusk. Their lovely red coats turning grey like myself.

'I need the hairdresser to open, and it better be soon.' Conversations like this go on in my head all the time now. Sometimes I speak them out loud to the four walls.

I threw on my new dressing gown - didn't want to put the old one on, way past its sell-by date. I'll keep that one just for me when I need comfort, the smell, the feel of it reminds me of better times.

I saw a figure through the glass panel of my front door, holding what seemed like a very large box. Maybe it was a gift for me. I ran down the hall to answer the door. 'That's the exercise done for the day' I thought smugly. 'No point in turning on the TV with a young man trying to get me to twist and move my body in ways it hasn't done for years!'

"Is this No. 12?" said the man outside keeping his distance. I thought he was looking at me strangely. I knew he was thinking 'God help this old one. Lockdown is doing terrible things to her. She's a wreck.'

"No. 12 is two doors down," I said with annoyance. "What's that you have there? Can I be of assistance and take it in, if they're not answering their door."

"It's ok, I'll bring it to them. It's their weekly shopping being delivered. Sorry for disturbing you."

Disappointment ran through me. I wouldn't be able to have a sneaky peek at their order. That would have been the highlight of the day - see what other people were eating.

Sighing, I closed the door and went to make a coffee. I might as well stay up now. Get dressed, do a bit of gardening. 'I'm tired of this' I told the kitchen walls.

Two hours later I was looking and feeling a lot better. The fresh air had done me good and at least my hair was clean and tied in such a way that I couldn't see much of the grey, in the front anyway. I didn't care about the back!

The doorbell rang again. 'What the heck is going on today?'

My neighbour, Lucy was standing there with a nice packet of biscuits.

"These are for you. So sorry you were disturbed by the delivery man. It's just that Harold is a lot older than me and has asthma. I can't go out at all now in case I catch the virus and bring it back to him. He wouldn't survive if he caught it."

She looked downtrodden, worn out, greying hair - a lot like myself, in fact.

"Lucy, would you like a coffee and one of these lovely biscuits? We could sit in the front garden, keep the recommended distance from each other."

Her worried face lit up. "Great idea, I'd love that. I'll see you out there in a few minutes, just have to let Harold know what I'm doing. He likes to know where I am, every minute of every day."

I detected a slight irritability in her voice.

I made fresh coffee in a pot and brought it out on a tray along with the biscuits. I was so elated doing this. I produced my good china mugs, sugar bowl and milk jug in celebration and anticipation of having a 'live' conversation with a 'real' person.

We didn't know each other well. Just neighbours - hello, goodbye, that sort of thing.

I poured the coffee. Lucy sat back on the garden chair. She relaxed instantly. I sat on my bench, a good distance between us.

She had gone to the same school as me. I never knew. It transpired we knew a lot of the same people. She was a couple of years older but that didn't matter now. It made all the difference when we were at school though. We talked about our favourite teachers. We remembered the assembly we had to attend every morning and the trouble we got into if we were late. We could laugh about it now but it was taken very seriously at the time. I played hockey and she had played netball and our paths never crossed. It was great to talk

"How is Harold," I asked. "I hardly ever see him now."

"He's looking after himself, don't you know. Before this lockdown, I played a lot of golf, played bridge regularly as he did also. But now ...... we're thrown together every day. I'm not finding it easy. After breakfast, he wants to know what's for lunch. No sooner is that finished, he wants to know what's for dinner, never mind the in-between elevenses and afternoon teas! It's like running a five-star hotel. I can't take much more of it. It's driving me mad."

"Do you ever spend time apart at all in the house?"

"I'll let you in on a secret, Annie. I've discovered Jigsaws. Harold hates them. I become totally immersed when I face completing a complicated one. I spread the pieces therapeutically on the desk upstairs in my office. I can spend a good 2-3 hours up there somedays."

And here was I moaning about being on my own. Sure, it's lonely but at least I only have myself to answer to.

A wise woman, my neighbour - Everybody needs a Jigsaw.