Lockdown, Part Seven - Images from Quarantine

Government curfew, day 45.

Many days are spent foraging for fruits and vegetables. 

As the kids attend to their online studies, and Elise and I work at either our computers or phones, we listen for the call of a vegetable hawker. The truck rolls slowly throyghe neighborhood while one or two masked hawkers yell in Sinhala, announcing its arrival. The ululating cry either marks the arrival of the fruits and vegetables vendor or garbage man, though the later is also accompanied by the mechanical siren of the compactor.

Recently, we've been receiving deliveries of king coconuts directly to our door. Elise now buys the entire stalk and keeps it by the front door. We keep three in the refrigerator. When we run low there, Elise hacks one from the stalk to replace it. 

After getting hooked up with several vendors who deliver high quality products, we may never go back to the store again. Among them is Honest Greens. We now receive a daily delivery of hydroponically-grown lettuce, kale, and basil. 

Since the banks have also been closed, a mobile ATM is available for people to withdraw cash.

We aren't supposed to leave the house at all, so we've had to get creative with our exercise, indoor activities, and use of the limited outdoor space we do have. 

The school continues at a steady rhythm to the end of the term. Sam's classes meet at set times throughout the day, creating structure for the entire house, myself included. Peter and Clementine's lessons have been more freeform. Though they've begun to add their own class schedule on Wednesdays.

The end of the term approaches yet no word yet on whether the kids will return to campus this year or not until the fall. If then. 

Crazy hair day.

Banana bread.

Most importantly, we've sought solace in quiet activities, ones that don't often reflect the torrent brewing within our brains, yet still offers release, a pressure valve to vent steam welling up on the inside, produced by wild vacillations of mood and spirits, tumbling thoughts, and the gears of mental machinations. 

We bake, we draw, we write, we gut and clean fish, wash fruit, water grass, do laundry, run stairs, sweep floors.

Elise paints.