Page 28 - Gilbert & Me_Neat

Day One

Thursday, April 9 , 2020
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6.30am:
Got up, shaved, showered, dressed, and prepared for an unusual day.

To explain, officially, I should have been in lockdown, or involuntary self-imposed staycation,
last week, because the Government’s restriction on movement of citizens had started way back
earlier this month, but, as I was informed that my job should be considered ‘essential’, I had
continued going to the office. Even though nobody could visit my office / store to purchase or
inquire about our products, because, unless they were essential workers themselves, they
shouldn’t be outdoors. Plus, even if I did receive orders, I could neither deliver nor send anything
out to anyone, because Cargo flights around the country by Tropic Air and Maya Islandair, and
other delivery agents, had ceased operations last week. Still I persevered.

That was until the first arrests of curfew breakers were announced. I decided then it was too risky
and would henceforth stay home. Also, the commercial compound where my office is located,
started keeping their gates closed, even during the day. Eventually they just wouldn’t let anyone
in, and since all their workers had disappeared a couple of days ago, the signs weren’t looking
good. I told my boss. I did say I would get internet installed at home, so we could at least
continue communicating and I could do some work.

I work for an energy service company owned by my boss who is currently overseas – I’m the
only employee. The company is located a few miles away from Belize City, where I live in a
suburban area of the city called Kings Park. It used to be considered affluent, and some people
still do consider it affluent and I guess by some standards it is, but affluence is a relative
description – judging by western standards, Kings Park isn’t affluent at all. Still, I like where I
am right now. The one main advantage of my apartment is it can’t get flooded. This is huge. My
last place flooded a lot, plus it was a lot smaller and had few windows. Now, I have lots of
windows and no floods. Gilbert is with me. More about Gilbert later.

Nobody else lives with us. Well, that’s not strictly true – there’s an albino-type Gecko living here
too. He’s very shy. I believe he lives among my books, because that’s where I’ve seen him a few
times when I’ve removed a book and caught him unawares.

Geckos are great little housemates – they live on pesky mosquitoes and other bugs, they make no
noise whatsoever and, strangely, I’ve never seen any mess, so, they must be – or least this one is
– house proud, like me. The Gecko doesn’t have a name. I’m not even sure he’s a He, if you get
my meaning. It’s not easy to tell the sex of a creature that darts about in a haphazard way and
doesn’t hang around for introductions. So, for convenience, the no-name Gecko is male.