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Sonya Battla

The lockdown happened suddenly and unceremoniously. I could not have prepared for what ensued even if I had known this was to happen. I was listening in to the Wuhan reports on BBC wondering why someone would eat a bat in the first place. But Wuhan was a long way. I had not anticipated Covid crossing my path so soon.

In March people coming back from a holy trip to Iran brought it back with them. The first cases of the dreaded virus were here. Nearly all 70 members travelling on that bus from Iran to Pakistan perished.

As there were no precaution in place there was a fear of an invisible creature and that fear resulted in an immediate lock down across my province. Leaving us all immobilized for the next four weeks. I had travel plans to spend my birthday back in London towards the end of March. But they never materialized. Initial thoughts were that I’ll delay the trip by a few weeks. That I will not be able to make it at all was not an option I could then conceive.

As time went on my thoughts turned to my apartment in London. I usually leave my plants with the care-taker of the building so they would be fine. But my winter jackets were hanging, as I was there in February 2020 and was planning to come back in a month’s time. I had not packed them in the cupboard. The winter boots were still on the entrance shoe stand.

The building gate opens onto the road and crossing the double road gets you into Holland Park. Memory slipped past the gate onto the wooden bench I would usually sit on and check my shoe

laces. Then I would start my ten minute jog into the beautiful park. Winding off the beaten track into the woodland and making my way into the Kyoto Garden from the small side entrance. This garden has a carp pond, which is bigger than the carp pond in my house and looks like a natural pond. Near this pond is Japanese maple tree. The leaves turn bright red before they fall off in autumn. In spring the most delicate leaf buds start forming, and I wait for them as they compete to blossom into fine tendrils before the leaves actually open, the squirrels wait for me as they see me enter. Getting bolder by the day coming closer to grab the nuts I throw towards them, checking my pockets for any hidden nuts. Squirrels are very smart. There are peacocks too. They seem a bit grumpy I suspect early morning it is still too cold for them to feel fully awake. I was pleasantly surprised to see green parrots on the perch above on a high elm. Green parrots are from Asiatic climes not usual to see them in parks in London but it seems the Park authority has rehabilitated them.

I sit on the bench that has a small gold plaque. Engraved are the words ‘Sheldon .Forever in his favourite spot. Marge. 1939-1997’ I wonder if someone will put up a bench for me. Sheldon’s favourite spot is after all my favourite spot too.

I would jog back after a ten minute break with the ‘friends’ in the park. Fulfilled with a familiar love of an unspoken bond between this secret world and its non-human characters. Usually I would stop at the bench on the way back too, sometimes it would get taken by then. A dog walker comes at that time. I like to wait for him. He walks two Kings Charles Cavaliers and an American Cocker Spaniel. The Cocker Spaniel looks like a twin of my Kaju, my buff cocker spaniel. This thought of Kaju makes me turn

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around and glance at Kaju, hes resting on his sofa spot without a care in the world. Im told he gets anxious when I travel to London. But that will not happen for a little while longer. This thought brings me back to the present. To my room. Im still here.

When I do get to London, I will get my plants back. Buy nuts and go to the park and then into the Kyoto garden where the squirrels await my return. Return to enrich myself in a make-belief woods, where I am alone and all the animals speak to me, where the early morning jogger in red shorts always smiles while crossing me and his Schnauzer comes towards me but at the last minute loses courage to stop and jump on me and circles past. Will go and sit on Sheldon’s bench for a little bit longer to make up for the missed year. I miss my world.

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