“Stay home!” said the government. And I stayed home (except for my run and essential shopping). Until I decided not to. Then I took my faulty headphones to the DHL drop-off. I picked up my order from the local wine bar. Next week I’m going on a much bigger adventure.
In March, the government told me to stay away from people. So I did. Created a big invisible cube around myself, two metres in dimension. Took it with me everywhere.
I let a friend into my cube (now they call it a bubble, the government). One-by-one other friends came for tea on the balcony. We intended keep our distance. But always, there’d be a moment when we’d forget the cube. And accidentally intrude.
I went shopping in Tesco. The cube stayed intact as I queued to get in. Disintegrated as I did my shopping. Reformed as I queued to pay. Then a plumber came to my flat. Then a British Gas engineer. Then a cleaner. We tried to dodge one another. But at times our cubes became tall skinny cuboids. Just like they were before social distancing.
After a while, everyone was finding the cubes pretty cumbersome. On the street, they pretended to forget about them. And invaded my space. It made me feel edgy at first. They don’t want their cubes anymore. And I don’t really want mine either.
I stayed in Ealing. But now I don’t have to.
So on Monday, I’m going to Clapham. To sit on Ed’s balcony. To watch the sun set over Battersea Power Station, just like we do from our expensive rooftop bars. We’ll drink our aperitifs of sauvignon blanc (me) and rosé (him). Eat our Deliveroo Indian. It won’t be a Chutney Mary’s curry. But it will be yummy.
On Wednesday, I’m going to Birmingham. I’ll see Suzanne. A big adventure - like our trip to Vietnam. We’ll stay in our cubes. Maybe we’ll dig her dad’s allotment. Sit in deckchairs in the garden. I’ll meet Pip the dog. Who I’ve only met on Zoom.
And on Friday, I’m going to Whitstable. To see Gill. We’ll walk and walk and walk. And talk. And talk. And talk. And although we’ve talked and talked and talked every weekend since March, this time it will be different.