DAY sixteen (Thursday) Yesterday I had to go to the office in Lisbon. There are always two persons working there and one of the directors, or managers, will also have to be there, naturally. Even though I’m now in a particular situation, working part-time, I volunteered. A day at the office I got up early and from my window I saw a cloudy day, but as I got to the highway the sun was shining and it was …
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Day fifteen. It seems a lifetime since we had our normal life. Since Mimi came in the mornings and we chatted while I had breakfast, discussing what she should cook for dinner and the latest news. Afonso had been home in the last two months because of his operation and Pedro usually had classes later so when I left for work, they would both still be sleeping. We had a tough time, yes, because of the boy’s injuries during …
DAY thirteen, Monday I get up early. The sun is shining, the sky is blue. I have a busy day ahead of me. No chance to go out. Today, if life were normal, I would be in Malta for some meetings, that will now be held by videoconference. Working day When we are all in the conference, a few small squares on the screen, we greet each other with alacrity – so good to see everyone is …
DAY eleven, Saturday It was not the relaxing day I had imagined. In the morning, the lady who helps me with the beach apartment called and said she was cleaning everything, so by the end of the day I would be able to move in. I decided I would leave Lisbon tomorrow. Then a friend called and mentioned the Government will be releasing a new package of restricting measures as from midnight, so I thought I’d better leave today. …
Rainy day. During breakfast, I acquaint myself with the rules established for the State of Emergency. They allow you to go out in some cases, like going to pharmacies, supermarkets or to buy food, walk your dogs, go for a walk in empty spaces (alone), so I decided that was it – I was going to go down to the newspaper kiosk and get my HOLA magazine. Going out feels like an adventure I took the opportunity to take …
Father’s Day. A sad day for me as it has been for fifteen years, since my father passed away; then, two years later, I also lost my grandfather, who was like a father to me. So, from having two special persons to celebrate with on Father’s Day, I was left with none. Like a dear friend who recently and very unexpectedly lost her father; today she dedicated such beautiful words to him that she moved me to tears. It’s her …
I opened the window and looked out. My son Afonso was getting in the car and his friend was putting the helmet and they both took the road. Pedro had already left. I was worried about their motorcycles being in the parking downstairs. Although it’s inside the building, there have been some thefts and with the State of Emergency about to be declared who knows what might happen. They decided to come and get them but left straight away. No …
Yesterday I concluded I had a flat tire. My car had been issuing warnings about low pressure on tires and it was always the same one so I had promised myself the next time I would have to fix it. It was yesterday! Not really a good time to have a problem in your car so I had to fix it straight away. Fortunately, I was told to go to a place where they repaired it in half an hour, …
Today it’s cloudy, with a few timid rays of sun appearing from time to time, and it’s windy – unpleasantly windy, as if to tell everyone “stay at home”. A strange silence I could not. In the late morning I had to pass by the office to get some documents that I could not print at home. As I drove there, I found there were more people on the streets than I had anticipated. Don’t mistake me: the city …
It seems that each day brings with it a new source of anxiety, as much as you want to keep a cool head. A pleasant dinner and a cancelled picnic Yesterday a friend called inviting me to dinner with him and his girlfriend, something we had agreed to do when they next came to Lisbon. They have been living in a small city up North with no virus detected cases yet and travelled by car. I bluntly told him …
