The year is still early. We call it 2020. The mid-spring rains have been consistent enough to nourish the soil, and even raise water reserves out of drought levels. Wild flowers in a dizzying array of variety and color carpet the slightest piece of unclaimed earth even if only a few grains between two rocks, a flower will pop. For each it seems, there is a tree with a new branch, on which sits another bird, we've not yet heard. The sun is ever present however often hidden, as soon as it peeks from a cloud, by it's heat you get bitten to varying degrees of 20, with still, some irritating regularity, visits slightly below, reminding us of 19 and how we've grown older.
We can see the summer coming, we can feel the summer coming, we can hear the summer coming, But this summer, no body's coming.
Feels like yesterday only weeks ago, OK a few months but sooo long ago, Constant No News flows: it's happening quickly and still spreading slow, from afar as we watch it continue to grow coming ever closer blow by blow. We realized there was nowhere to hide when officials told us we no longer decide. So we've learned from what we don't know and that is obviously clear, the most notable symptom is this ominous fear.
For everyone from there to here, being together is nowhere near, a means of survival, in the current year.
It had started like a dream, bookings came in steady stream. The first 6 weeks more than last 6 months before. The low season was ending. And it did with a thud. The following 6 weeks seeing the previous 6 cancelled, and then, the next 6 months no more. As I write this another one just went plop. Our last two rents had flights out same day, two different legs going the same way. Different companies, one cancelled, the other one not. The lockdown had reached us, then Easter was not. The cancelled extended, twice more and why not? But 43 days, we must say is a lot. Between here and there, their logic we shared, and refusing the business of course we don't dare.
Sylvie and I always spent time together, then everything we do turns out better. We are in the country side in the outskirts of town, near a small city laid out by the sea, southward bound. Not isolated, far from overpopulated, Where the climate comes with a great guarantee. Confinement and distance don't change much in our instance. The place is big and the setting is beautiful. Nothing to complain about. Well, one thing, as usual. The starter broke on my chainsaw, the replacements' online, they say they deliver, but nothing's on time. oh dear... So complain we do not, but we worried a lot about this new dent in how we pay rent. The second wave was already here, and just like the first one, driven by fear. We're not pessimistic but this was quite clear, without raising money, our end was near.
We did inventory, how much to smile, how much to worry, OK for a while but what shall we do now to keep ourselves busy? We have the gear, learned to sew masks, envisioned the year and listed new tasks. Reached out to clients, relations and guests, convincing the bank we're trying our best, there's a world wide pandemic, we have no guests. Solutions are found, but in the end, the best ones come from someone called friend.
Now home we are and safe we stay, in the meantime we plow away to make Monte-Bougainvillea better someway. A new vegetable garden and orchard are work right now but soon in the future we'll enjoy them...not now. Everyone adapting to what they don't know, figuring a way to get on with the show. The system is broken, the planet is sick, going back to normal seems like a big risk. It's that Catch 22 whatever we do. So we do what we do. You have plant seeds if you want them to grow.
We're open for business, and with a lot of great care, next year also we intend to be there.
For all of my youth, 2020 was the year in which I'd project myself being old in a futuristic age. For all of 2019, 2020 was the year we would start earning a wage. So far this year, 2020 is the year to forget that we will all remember, not that we want to. We've already changed, but don't know how. This is not the future this is right now. We'll figure this out later, it can only get better.
We're open for business we have one last guest, Summer is coming, we'll treat him our best. Summer 2020. We already remember it. Hope to see you soon, as possible. Sylvie & JC with Dixie & the Cats Monte-Bougainvillea
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