The Effects of Covid 19

The sun’s rays streaming through the gap in the curtains disturbed his slumbers and he stretched out lazily in his bed.

“No point getting up yet.” He thought out loud. “No-one seems to get up early anymore, it’s stream watching series on Netflix until the crack of dawn and then missing breakfast, snoozing away.”

He moved his legs around to the cold bits in the bed, enjoying the difference in temperature.  “I can remember getting up promptly at 6 am, showers, breakfast then a brisk walk around the park.”

Waking much later, after drifting back to sleep, he became aware of his bladder.  He needed to pee, but couldn’t be bothered to get up, so he crossed his legs and stayed warm for a few more minutes.

Finally, the urgency became unbearable, so he stumbled out of bed and padded into the bedroom to wake up Mum and Dad.  Sitting next to the bed, he laid his head next to Mum and breathed as loud as he could until she stirred.

“Morning, Treacle.  Do you need to pee?”

He went towards the door and waited for her to follow him, when we reached the back door, he hesitated until she unlocked the door and let him out into the sunshine.

When he had finished checking out the garden, making sure everything was in order, and re-established his ownership everywhere, he made his way back indoors to the kitchen.  Divine smells were filling the house, eggs, bacon, toast, yummy.  Sitting patiently by the table, hoping every forkful would mysteriously drop to the floor, so he could swoop on It and gobble it up.

“So, what shall we do today, Treacle?” Mum queried.

“How about we go for a long walk and then make lunch when we get back.” Dad suggested.

“Brilliant idea, then we could plan dinner and check out what to watch tonight.”  Mum starting clearing the plates and putting them into the dishwasher, Treacle loved this bit, because it meant he could sneak a few licks at the breakfast remains before the machine was closed.

Treacle looked bored, he desperately tried to remember the old days, when after the morning walk, Mum and Dad would rush out together, promising “Be back soon”.  He then had the house to himself, he could lay on the settee, without being told off.  Make himself comfy in their big bed, wriggling around with the duvet, pretending it was fighting him.

Then he would make his way into the kitchen, slurp some water and have a munch or two of the horrid dry biscuits left for him.  His favourite activity was knocking the lid off the bin and trying to reach any goodies left in there from last nights dinner, which there always was.

He could sit at the window and bark at people, dogs even birds sometimes.  Then usually he would get bored and sleep, until Mum and Dad came home.  That was the most amazing part of the day, being reunited with the two people he loved the most.

But now, he couldn’t get rid of them, not even for a minute.  They were always home, chiding him, fussing over him and those incessantly boring long walks.  Oh, Covid 19 has a lot to answer for.

544 Words – Sandy Bryson