It was such a pleasant surprise. We walked into my downstairs neighbour's apartment, and there was a glow of warmth and candlelight and Christmas spirit. Christmas music filled the air, and she sat and played and beckoned us to sit down. At a safe distance from her, across her living room, of course.
For this is a Christmas like no other. And we are not supposed to mingle/socialise with more than one person outside of the household.
I had asked her to join my bf and I for dinner, but she was not feeling too well, and declined. I said I would bring her some food, some Newfie Jiggs Dinner I had never made before, but wanted to make to make it feel homely for my bf. My neighbour asked me to join her for pre-dinner drinks, and to my surprise, it was a private concert, with appertisers and champers. How wonderful it is to have wonderful neighbours. Especially during a period of social isolation, lockdowns and just overall anxiety, uncertainty and fear brought about by the still ongoing pandemic.
I sat, listened to her play. She was in sync with the notes, and her body swayed with the flow of the melody. Now and then, she would cheer us. As a joke, she placed a glass with a $20 bill, and had a sign saying tips and credit cards are welcome. Even at 70+ (I think...), she has this jovial way about her. Almost since the day we bumped into each other in the corridors, we connected.
And throughout the past few months, we have developed this symbiotic relationship. I would offer to pick up groceries whenever I did my biweekly round of shopping, either at the large supermartket, or in Chinatown for Asian veggies and other produce. And she would offer me some surprise dinner once a week. It's been really special, just connecting and sharing. And as a expression of her gratitude, she put on this lovely show, decorated her place and really put the Christmas magic in Christmas.
This is an unusual holiday season. Stores have been closed for over a month--open for curb-side pick-ups, but how would you shop if you are not able to browse the stores? Small businsesses have been specially affected, whereas online retailers, already killing local stores, have struck it big.
So many people are spending the holidays by themselves. The result of a prolonged "lockdown" unlike anything that we can remember in recent times. All over the world, varying degrees of lockdown, closures, social distancing orders and mandates are in place. A traditionally family/friend-oriented holiday season has been changed dramatically through discouragements from gathering, and encouragements to do videocalls instead.
Even so, travels have hit record highs, at least for the year, as people fly to join their families, or flee the winter to more exotic and warmer locales. With that, there is no doubt that infections, and deaths, will continue to rise--continue to spike like never before, but also as predicted months ago.
Poor government policies and communication, and some wanton disobediene or utter disregard for public health advisories have led us to this. Almost 80m infections. 1.7m deaths as of 25 December, almost a year since the world was warned of an unusual people-to-peopel transmssion by Taiwan. A warning that the world (largely) ignored.
This Christmas came suddenly, or so it felt. Perhasp because, despite putting up a tree, the festive season is dampened by glum news of deaths and spiking infection rates all over. In Holland, medical personnel had to be called back from their break as cases spiked. Britain is under an almost country-wide lockdown of the highest alert level. In two days, Ontario will enter a province-wide "hard" lockdown.
It just feels surreal, and cruel. So many deaths, so much human suffering and tragedy brought on by forced social separation, and isolation, that could have been prevented had governments acted proactively and faster. Now they are scrambling to hold on to control as the must devastating humanitarian crisis in peacetime break the social, economic, and political systems of the world beyond recognition.
Luckily, vaccines have been developed, within record time, and are being distributed. Within a few months, much of the population, at least in the developed world, will be immunised against corona SARS-COVID2. And that will be a relief, and hopefully stem the spread.
But the virus is evolving, and new strains have been found in South Africa, in the UK, and no doubt more variants will develop as the virus mutates and spreads further, gets stronger.
It may, like the Spanish Flu or 2003 SARS earlier, just disappear as qucikly as it came. Or it may stay with us, continue to have humanity on edge for years, if not forever.
But back in a little cosy apartment. Three people sat distanced from one another, and enjoyed music, drinks and food.
This is the soul-touching, comforting and human contact and connection we have all longed for.
And on this Christmas Eve, we felt it, and were moved by it.
Merry Christmas.
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