When the husband came home

In March we were all put in lockdown and our family was spread out across the country due to work commitments. All of the family are key workers due to employment in social care, education and utilities.

In April two weeks in my husband phoned me from work and informed me one of the students had tested positive and he had been teaching the student on the days the information came through. We tried to look at this positively and having jokes about moving into the school then but there was much more than that he could not return to the family home as I was shielding and unable to leave.

We adapted and I made him a lovely make shift home in the summer house with all mod cons, he enjoys cooking on the camping stove, and he had his own entrance through the garage.

It was difficult and frustrating knowing he was just down the garden but also knowing that I could not go down and see him or even get close due to the advice from health professionals. He loved it getting up and listening to his music all day going, pottering around the garden and planting a variety of different pots and catching up on jobs that were always ‘when I get time list’

I hated it not being able to be close to him but also not being able to talk to him and just have some general chit chat, the days passed reasonably with work and I felt well supported from my work family and our regular family video calls where we all managed a laugh and joke.

After two weeks the garden was looking wonderful; with flower pots sorted and planted, a variety of seedlings for the allotment and after tests had come back negative a hairy husband returned to the family home and I shut my laptop and switched off the mobile phones and we sat and just sat next to each other and laughed.

Times are hard and very different, our current situation is nothing like we have experienced before but it will give us something to talk and laugh about in the future so next time when your grandparents talk about ‘during the war…’ don’t dismiss or roll your eyes because in the near future you will be using a similar statement but it will start with ‘During the lockdown…….’

Keep smiling, keep home and stay safe.

Nicola Swinbank