Quarantine Diary - Day 3



Loud knocking on the door. I was roused by very loud, almost angry, knocking on my door. I got up, disorientated. How many hours of sleep did I get? I wrapped and tied my robe for some  percent of decency. Never mind my glasses… I can’t really see clearly. I open the door and saw this middle-eastern-looking security guard with a high-visibility vest on, beaming with a big smile, saying “Your stuff is here!” He looked so excited. so excited. I look down and was greeted by two bags that figuratively said “Welcome home, you are loved.”


Never mind that I only slept for 4 hours. I had these goodies including instant noodles (!!!), bath bombs and my new MacBook. 


Shortly thereafter, a team of nurses appeared on my front door and asked to swab me. That nasopharyngeal swab was a bitch. 


A few hours later, I received my welfare check call from the government (separate from the daily checks done by the nurses to ask if I had developed any COVID symptoms). The man on the other end of the line had a masculine and calm voice. He asked me if I had any immediate concerns regarding my safety and health; I replied no. He then asked me if I had any issues or concerns regarding my wellbeing and the terms of quarantine. I said in a glum, nonchalant way, “Well, to be honest, I think having only one 15 minute fresh air break per week is a bit brutal.”  He must have heard the frustration in my voice because then he responded with direct inquiry as to whether I had any intention of committing self-harm in the near future.


I was jet lagged and heartbroken and altogether, yes, I could be better. But I very much valued my life, thank you. 


Coincidentally, it’s Independence Day in the Philippines. And while I may be currently ‘imprisoned’ in the hotel room for mandatory quarantine, I took joy in the thought that my heart and spirit are free. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quarantine diary - Day 13

Image
In a vacant promenade, under the white fluorescent lights, with the fresh breeze, I danced like no one was watching.  There were 3 sections cordoned off to facilitate social distancing whilst providing ample room to walk and stretch. Lady Gaga played in my ears and there I felt the urge to extend my arms and legs as far as they would allow me. I wondered how much space I could take up. So I started with what looked like warrior 3 poses then took it up a notch by shifting to dancers pose except my hands didn’t support my lower limbs. Gradually, I transitioned to taking the widest strides possible while letting my arms radiate to the side and sway. The past months have been the most excruciatingly painful time of my life. My heart ached every single day; some days I wondered if my ulcer had returned and I would take Omeprazole but would not find any relief. Sleeping used to be my escape and solace. But my mind was busy and scattered and even when I thought I wasn’t thinking,...
Read more

the pseudo-person

(for November 22) I dont usually converse through text with people I don't know or haven't met but for this particular person I made an exception. Honestly I felt weird replying to a person who was a somewhat stranger. I mean, sure he's the best friend of one of my good friends, but still, I don't like operating on those terms. But he made sense and surprisingly enough he didn't bore me and drove me off to sleep. By the time we'd been talking for over a week, I felt like I had a bogus friend, a figment of my imagination that resulted as a way for compensating my lack of college guy friends I could talk to on a regular basis. And I don't know. there's just this certain thrill spilling information to a pseudo stranger, or someone whom you haven't met. I mean, what harm could it possibly bring right. He was, i mean is, taking up psychology as his pre-medicine course. He told me that he had a 10hour week schedule. Upon learning this I felt like questioni...
Read more

So I gave slam poetry a go

When I was a girl I was filled with a mountain of fallacies and superstitions Mommy said she thought kissing a guy would lead to impregnation That her first kiss was at the altar, sealing God’s permission And so I went through teenage years hiding any sign I was a girl Binding my breasts with cloth so my femininity wouldn't unfurl The thought of being in a relationship would make me hurl My grandma said to ward off men I should wear a pearl They said That to men women owed their devotion Keep the house tidy , tend to chores, love without condition If my husband looks away, it's my duty to do whatever means to make him stay They preached my best strategy is to pray, pray and pray And hope he comes home at the end of the day That marriage should be girls primary aspiration And bearing a child was life's greatest fruition And divorce would inevitably lead to society's condemnation  If your child turned out to be gay, that just means he's gone astray...
Read more