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The old world is gone and we now roam the streets mask-free. Our vacant eyes reflecting that all hope is lost. We are all infected, the only question now is who lives and who dies. The sound of ambulances is no longer alarming. I sit on my porch, wine in hand. Any day now... https://twitter.com/tamzhal_wiindi/status/1248245557337833474">https://twitter.com/tamzhal_w...
Looking down the street, the stench of death hangs heavy in the air. Sometimes it takes days for the medical teams to arrive and take the bodies. “First despondents” I jokingly call them. Josh did say that my wit would keep me going. I crack a smile and lift the glass to my lips.
I look up, startled at the sound of rustling in the grass. Could it be a rat? A snake? The village girl in me remembers this is the middle of the city. Not a chance. Two seconds later the porch light glints off its scales. As though we don’t have enough to deal with. Another sip.
We always worried that there would be an increase in crime rates. The opposite is true. I wouldn’t be sitting out here at 4am in the BC life. Before the coronavirus I would fear being raped, robbed or both on these badly lit streets. Now I only dream of someone touching my skin.
The next time that happens, I will either be barely lifeless or dead.
I shiver. Not from the cold, it’s warm in the middle of June and we don’t have seasons anymore. The phrase “climate change” is from a bygone age. All we know is that the gods have forsaken us. There had been no protests when churches started being turned into quarantine centres.
Another coughing fit. This time it takes an eternity for my breathing to return to normal. It feels like the oxygen in my blood is mixed with glass. I gave up smoking months ago as my lungs could only take so much abuse. Besides, I save all my money for my precious wine.
I stare at the grass again. Noone is coming to cut it. The rent legislation was repealed 5 years ago. There was no consultation. We are used to that. We are all homeowners now. This is what we wanted, isn’t it? In a few days this will be someone else’s problem anyway. I sigh.
