Pandemic.
Spanish Flu, Black Plague, Ebola, and so many others we have not lived through.
Yet, the thought of death spuns men into action.
Face masks, alcohol, hand sanitizers, Lysol, air sanitizers are suddenly rare commodities.
Streets once filled with people are now too vast.
The life of these cities had left.
With its loss, nature returns to take its rightful place.
-
Quarantine.
Death tolls of the infected increase every single day. Offices are suddenly empty. Deadlines shifted.
Farewells and words of caution could be heard about as I left the confines of the office on the last day.
A tired sigh and I shut myself alone in my apartment with only inanimate objects to keep me company.
A smile crept upon my lips.
-
Social Distancing.
People avoid other people as they walked the streets. Most faces unrecognizable hidden in clothed masks as they passed by.
Jeepney rides grew quiet. Grocery lines are more spaced than before.
Fingers that had brushed off another are scrubbed clean with soap or sanitizer.
My eyes stared briefly at my own hands. When was the last time I hugged someone else?
-
Self Isolation.
Whatever the hours of sleep, I wake up in the early morning: 6AM.
The alarm clock is off but my body had mastered this symphony well.
Turn on the lights. Fix the bed. Drink a glass of water. Do the usual bathroom business. Dress to impress. (scratch that)
Water the plants outside. Talk to them occasionally and wonder why this little one's leaves are falling despite the fertilizer.
Sweep the floor. Disinfect it and the windows with a liter of water and Lysol.
Make brunch. Eat. Paperwork. Surf the net. Play.
Go and hang the sheets outside then bask in the sunlight through the metal-lined walls.
"You did good today."
That was the very first time a voice spoke kindly in my head.