Guardian Homepage: https://www.theguardian.com/
A Guardian guest story written by Michael Segalov, from the story of Catherine, 36, mature student, Conwy.
For the past few years, our lives have been stretched after we moved to Wales from London, when I got pregnant. Money became tight, as did our time. I was made redundant and went back to university. Danny became a landscape gardener, but it’s not exactly lucrative. Before all this, our days would just disappear: cooking, school runs, cleaning, working…
By the time Danny got in – bath and bedtime done – we’d collapse on the sofa: have you paid the council tax? What’s left in the joint account? Do I need to make you sandwiches tomorrow? Sleep.
Things were different when we first got together. We never had high-flying jobs, but our time was free. Now, being in isolation, in our little cocoon, has cut us off from all the outside noise and reminded us why we’ve chosen to build our lives with one another. We’re teaching our son how to play the xylophone and doing silly dances to pirate songs as we jump around in the kitchen. We have space to enjoy the things we did before we became parents: making music, playing Scrabble, dressing up as people from music videos.
We’re petrified, too. All Danny’s work has dried up. And we’re both aware things are going to get worse. Here in the country we might be behind London, but that doesn’t mean it’s not coming. I wake up every day and it’s as if I’ve forgotten what’s happening. When I remember, I can’t help but panic. I know our little bubble may burst, but the longer we can stay inside it the better.
This story is from a series by Michael Segalov, called Love in the time of corona: ‘This wasn’t how I planned it, but she said yes’, written for the Guardian Newspaper, 12th April 2020.
“Imagine being separated from the one you love. Or stuck with the one you don’t, or being alone? Stories of the heart from behind quarantined walls”
Original Guardian article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/apr/12/love-in-the-time-of-corona-stories-of-the-heart-told-from-behind-quarantined-walls
Guardian Homepage: https://www.theguardian.com/