Alternate universe in The View from the Terrace

When I got up at 8.30 am this morning and went into the living room it felt like being in a different world. This flat is on a busy road about a mile and a half from the centre of Cardiff. The living room window overlooks the main road and it is usually bustling with people at that time in the morning; people going to work, early shoppers, students on their way to the university. Today the streets were almost empty. There were two people walking on the pavement. She stepped into the road as he passed to make the distance greater.

We have a cafe next door. They have an outdoor area in the back next to our little garden. They finally closed this week. Their kitchen is above the cafe with steps up next to ours. I will miss their cheery greetings as we passed. Next to them is the Oxfam shop. They occupy the whole building with storage above and it is deserted. All of the charity shops are closed now so our nearest neighbours on that side are three doors down where there is a flat above an ethical boutique, a rather posh charity shop. The flat has only a tiny area at the back as there is a big storage shed for the shop, but they have filled it with climbing flowers and it is very pretty. The flat above the shop on the other side is occupied by some Chinese people who I hardly ever see and next to them is a Chinese takeaway which is run by a family who live above. They have two children who, now that the schools have closed, spend most of their time playing in the tiny yard behind the shop and provide some light relief in these troubled times.

This morning we braved Tesco’s and they had loads of bread. Since we shop separately we bought 3 loaves each as I really do have to minimise trips to the shops if we can’t get deliveries. Most people were being sensible and kept their distance, but I still held my breath every time I passed someone. There were masses of reduced plants and Louise bought six of them for the garden, but I have now read the labels and realise they are house plants left over from Mother’s Day, never mind, they can be out in the garden in the day in this lovely weather to help create a cheery oasis, and I will bring them in at night. We found most of the things we needed, they even had hand wash, but there were no Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages which Louise practically lives on, she has them nearly every day. She will have to find something else but changing even a small part of her routine is so hard for her.

Louise was doing her workout this afternoon to some loud rock music. She likes it really loud and, with the cafe next door and the shop below both closed, she can do what she likes, every cloud has a silver lining, as my mother used to say. I went out of the door to go down to the garden and saw two young people sunbathing on the roof of a house on the other side of the alley tapping away to her music, and then they looked up and saw me and the look on their faces was hilarious. When I told Louise she wanted me to put on her Black Sabbath tee shirt and go out again!

I spent a pleasant hour in the garden unpacking the plants and watering the flowers, the first time I have needed to this year.