'Ten days solely in the company of Omicron'

My husband, three daughters and the dog have been pretty darned strict about letting me out. I have to give a five minute warning on the family WhatsApp to clear the area whenever I need to use the facilities. They don’t like it when I emerge, I swear the dog is giving me the stink-eye.

To be fair, they were really good for the first few days, delivering food and water on a timely basis but then things began to slip. I‘ve had to make SOS calls to the family WhatsApp begging for sustenance.

Shelley-Anne Salisbury (Image: 1000words.co.za)

At first, quarantining didn’t seem too bad and the prospect of 10 days solely in the company of Omicron sounded eminently doable. Without the usual interruptions of daily life, I could finally tick off all those admin tasks, respond to the plethora of "rainy day" emails and read that tome, which has slowly been gathering dust on my bedside table. I could even work on some of my short stories. The possibilities were endless.

Then the Omicron symptoms hit. Luckily the symptoms have been pretty mild but it’s no mean feat concentrating on anything very much when your head is pulsating. All I’ve really been able to do is binge-watch unhealthy amounts of Netflix. The seven series Australian mega drama I’m invested in will be a hard habit to kick. When isolation ends I doubt I’ll ever have time to discover what fate has in store for Sister Adams.

As I type, the outside world filters in through my office window, I catch snippets of conversations, laughter, dogs barking, everyone going about their usual business. I long to get back out there and reconnect with my local surrounds. I want to be able to visit my elderly parents, walk the dog on the Heath Extension and generally catch up in person with my friends.

Isolating has been an interesting experience and I love my own company but 10 days is quite enough thanks.

Shelley-Anne Salisbury is a mediator, writer and the co-editor of Suburb News, themediationpod.net