Well, here I am standing in front of my abandoned grandfather's house, carrying a large suitcase, watching the layers of dust that flooded the entire courtyard, the paled façade of the house, and a stray dog whom laid down at the doorstep as if it were his paradise that protected him from the scorching summer sun.
Why am I here?
To answer this question, we must go back in time four weeks ago.
At that time, it was the beginning of April, when curfew measures were applied, and industrial activities were reduced to counter the Corona epidemic.
Yes, they started implementing these procedures too late, but do you think this means that everything will go well?
No, of course not.
Businessmen decided to cut salaries. That is why the head of my company visited us in our office, and he said:
We are going through difficult times and Bla Bla Bla.
Then, after that all we knew that our salaries were cut in half. Yes, that's exactly what happened!
Uh, you must think this means that we will work from homes and they would give us our meager salaries, no dear. They asked us to resume our work as usual from work offices as if there is no global epidemic that threatens lives and humanity.
Now let's travel through time a little faster and our destination is the past two days.
Again, the head of the company visits us in our office, then he says:
We are going through difficult times and Bla Bla Bla.
Then, I found myself fired. Yes, that's exactly what happened!
This is why I am here now.
You ask me why?
Because I can't live in my family's house. When I was working, it was simple, I go out to work at seven in the morning, and I go home at eleven in the evening.
In other words: I spend 8 hours at my house, most of them sleeping on my bed, so I didn't interact with my mother, sister, and father a lot.
Why?
You must have guessed the answer. The nightmare question: Why haven't you got a girlfriend yet? when are you getting married?
So, I decided to take a rest for myself from this question by running away to my grandfather's house in a remote village.
Yes, I will spend my solitude in this house, all I will do is; eat, drink, sleep, and read all the books and manga that I missed while working my ass out for that greedy businessman aka villain. And yeah, I will watch Netflix for 24 hours straight, without sleeping, without closing my eyelids, and then I will forget all the second-rate shows that I have seen, and replace it with another third-rate show.
Ahem, you ask me: Who am I?
Well, let me introduce myself properly this time.
My name is Khaled, 26 years old, I work as an accountant, single. I was not always single, but this is life as you know, the first girl I loved, abandoned me because I am not mature enough and because I am still studying, have no job, and of course, my family isn't that rich. In other words, I am poor as a turtle.
Of course, I was poor. Back then we were seventeen years old. I was still taking my allowance from my family, what materialist she was.
Anyway, she is married and has two children now.
As for the second girl, well .. we were separated due to our different opinions in political life and current events. What do you want me to do, man? You can't spend all your life with a girl who belongs to the right-wing when you are belonging to the left-wing, right?
Oh, I can hear you asking me about the third girl?
Well, It was just a little better. She just friend-zoned me.
Fourth girl?
No, it was an impossible love. There are seas and continents separating us. It wasn't going to work.
Well, Let's forget my romance life. Cause, I swear to God, that shit ain't happening again. At least until I meet the chosen One, but I know pretty well, that won't happen? Do you know why? Because I'm unlucky like Uncle Donald Duck.
Bark. Bark.
I woke up from my thoughts to the sound of the stray dog, who has taken my grandfather's house courtyard as his own house. The dog must have felt that I threatened his nascent kingdom.
I don't want to admit that I hate dogs, Rather I am afraid that I will get a bitten, then lying in the hospital for a day, and this will not happen, because we live right now in a world health emergency. I mean, I would be crazy if I decided to go to a hospital for a treatment form a dog bite where it is very possible for me to be infected with the COVID-19 virus from some random patient at the hospital.
Nope ... of course, I won't be that unlucky person.
So I decided to follow the same advice that I have been following since I was young: look at the dog with your eyes wide open, Don't let it smell your fear, Shout back at him, then I kick the air until it recedes in fear and allows you to pass in front of him.
I kicked the air, and in return, the dog barked again, I kicked the air again with a firm will to show it my intention:
Leave ... go away, naughty dog
The dog looked at me in spite, then jog away, allowing me to stand in front of my grandfather's old house.
I took out the key, then put it in the keyhole, and I turned the key twice. Click. Click.
And finally, I opened the door.
A wave of thick dust greeted me, but fortunately for me, I was still wearing a medical protective mask.
I mumbled: Damn, this house needs a thorough cleaning process so I can live a normal life here.
I took out my cell phone, and searched for one of my acquaintances I know in the village.
Hey, Adel, are you free now?
Is it necessary?
-I want you to clean my grandfather's house and buy some household orders for me. Bring Sameh with you? The house is big, and you won't be able to finish it on your own?
Okay, I'll get to you in half an hour. Oh, by the way do you know How much are our daily wages now?
- Don't worry, Adel. I will give you more than you deserve, but you have to come right now because I won't be able to sleep in this dust and junk.
***
After a while, I took out a plastic chair to the courtyard, sit down under the shade of the antique mulberry tree, and took out Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone form my case, then started reading it for the millionth time, while Adel and Sameh began working inside the house. Their work continued indoors from ten in the morning until nine in the evening.
They removed tons of dust from inside the house, and then wiped the house with water and chlorine in an overrated way to the point I thought my grandfather's house would turn into a health isolation unit.
Of course, I made them bring all the pillows and mattresses of the house to one of the upholstery shops to re-upholstery them until they return in a new shape better than before. At the same time, I made them buy vegetables, rice, and lots of legumes for the kitchen stock. I also asked them to come with a refrigerator technician to repair the shabby refrigerator. As summer is approaching, and you need cool, fresh water.
Now my grandfather's house is ready to receive people to live again.
Adel approached:
As for the basement, could we clean it tomorrow?
I looked at him for a moment. I thought, Oh my dear Adel, just like I guessed! Do you think I don't know you were planning to come to work tomorrow so you could get another payday? Who do you think am I. I am not that rich.
I smiled and said:
Thank you, Adel, but I do not think there is an urgent need to clean the basement now.
After that I paid him the three hundred pounds, so he and Sameh shared it.
After they finally left, I entered my grandfather's house, closed the door behind me, and then smiled as I mumbled:
Happy isolation, Khaled.