Guardian Homepage: https://www.theguardian.com/
A Guardian guest story written by Michael Segalov, from the story of Sarah, 58, hospital pharmacist, London.
At first I told my husband to take some obvious precautions: don’t take the tube, wash your hands regularly. Working on the frontline as a pharmacist in a busy London hospital, I’d seen the epidemic developing firsthand.
My husband is quite a bit older than me and given my job I’ve always known I might come into contact with coronavirus. I was worried I’d bring it home and I couldn’t stand the thought of being the one to infect him.
We talked about him moving out of our home temporarily, although he wasn’t keen. Not just because it seemed a pain, he didn’t want me to worry. Last week I concluded it was for the best, it would make me less paranoid and him – I hope – a little safer.
It wasn’t too hard to arrange. A friend not far away offered him plenty of space. One morning he dropped me off at work, then went to pack his bags. He was gone by the time I arrived home. I’ve kept one of the dogs, he took the others.
We haven’t spent more than a few nights apart in our 20 years together. It’s difficult for both of us: he wants to be there to support me as things get worse, but now feels helpless. When I come home after a difficult day, there’s nobody to talk to.
In the evenings we catch up, although there isn’t much to say. His days have become repetitive, mine quite depressing. I come home exhausted, feed the dog, eat in front of the TV and then I’m sleeping. Weekends alone feel very strange.
What we’re doing isn’t special. I’m sure anyone working in the NHS – who could – would do it. Hopefully it’ll all be over before too long, and in a few months we’ll be reunited. It’s just with the weeks stretching out, I don’t know when this might end, or when I might see him. And I already miss having him around.
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/