It's been almost a year ... staring at news portals announcing a deadly virus that was infecting thousands. Initially this news shocked us, not sure whether to believe it or otherwise, but images of lives in imminent danger kept flashing in front of our eyes leaving us completely baffled. We just knew we would soon be in that very same situation.
I felt this great tension immediately; entering a surreal world of supermarkets suddenly filled with crowds pushing trolleys with stocks of toilet paper and preserves. My memory went back to when the Gulf war broke out and supermarket shelves were soon empty. I did not know what to fear most: an empty stomach or encountering this virus.
Social media burst with messages of uncertainty, poetry for reflection, photographs of people on ventilators and health workers wearing protective clothing from head to toe. Reality hit when my son, who works in the health sector, left home to find temporary alternative housing. My daughter who lives in England cancelled her trip to Malta. I hoped it wouldn't be long before I could see my grandchildren again. Life changed overnight.
I realised I had to adjust, too. In normal circumstances I would seek to isolate myself, away from everyone, with more time to think and write but soon enough I changed my mind. Being separated from close family and friends was hard. Luckily I managed to keep contact through technology. Some habits had to go, like meeting for coffee, attending seminars or book launches. All these became bygone experiences, and I was able to concentrate more on writing and other projects in the pipeline.
One such project being the book of verse which is to be published in the coming months. Another project was Sagħtar, contributing with a monthly story as well as doing the illustrations. I had to cancel school visits. Nonetheless I conducted creative writing activities with students on video. I took part in online reading initiatives. Added to this was a good dose of reading of genres with which I am not too familiar.
Friends suggested good books to read and a new book found its way to my home almost every week.
In April I launched MittKelma, an anthology of one hundred microfiction stories. This was a challenge made by my publisher, Joseph Mizzi of Klabb Kotba Maltin - that of coming up with stories of only one hundred words. This challenge was made following the publication in 2018 of Fuq Widnejn Torox u Stejjer Żbukkati Oħra, a collection of stories of two hundred words each. MittKelma was launched online with the participation of three dear friends, Ken Scicluna, Rowena Calleja and Glen Calleja who pre-recorded videos of themselves reading from the book.
My writing never stopped, or rather it never gave me any rest. Ideas kept flowing in with one story leading to another. I am currently in the process of editing another book of short stories, which is to be published this year.
A beautiful break from writing is drawing and painting, even though at times they tend to provoke a thought, memory or idea for a new story. Sometimes I ended up having used all painting materials and I had to improvise. Necessity unleashes creativity. Once while painting a seascape, the paintbrush I was using was totally consumed. I found an old toothbrush and the frothy effect on the waves came out exactly as I wanted it.
Online shopping not only left me with much more time on my hands for new projects but made me realise how many things I used to buy which were not really needed. The kitchen cupboards now close more easily. At times, brands I was used to buying were no longer available, but who cares, I tried out new ones. When I did not find yeast I searched on google how to cultivate fresh yeast. The first attempt was unsuccessful, but the second turned out well. As I saw air bubbles form in the jar, showing that the yeast was alive, I could hardly resist shouting out loud. I fed the yeast every few hours, watching it ferment. I waited a week till it matured and baked my own bread, though I admit I was expecting too much here. Pizza turned out really delicious. I started inventing new recipes with all kinds of leftovers, transforming them into 'healthy muffins', 'healthy snacks' or 'healthy desserts'. Now, that I think of it, I should start working on a recipe book.
Spring was a time for long walks. With partial lockdown the air was cleaner and nature gained new life. I noticed more green patches in the countryside. Less traffic left a positive impact on the environment. Even the sea was clearer. These walks gave me moments to find myself, think up ideas to write about my family and friends who perhaps felt as I did. But I lived the moment in a world which was constantly changing.
Someday the times we're going through will go down in history. We will relate how we spoke from a distance, how we wore masks, followed the number of active Covid-19 cases, the hope of finding a vaccine ... but we will forget the clean air, the crystal clear sea and the dolphins that came to swim in our bays for a short while.
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