Page 45 - Gilbert & Me_Neat

I’m wondering if there’s any money in the bank and if I can get internet set up, so I can finally
get connected to the world outside my front door. I’ll check soon. If there is, I’ll get some beans
too.

Walked down to the ATM. No money. Again.

Walked back to my apartment. Got another cup of coffee, and got to work on my novel. Thought
about killing off the character based upon my Boss – all kinds of cruel and frankly disturbing
methods came to mind, but then remembered there wasn’t a character in the novel. Considered –
just for a few minutes – creating one, but the moment passed. My Boss was safe, for the time
being. Or until some money turned up in my account.

However, I did achieve a lot with the other characters and was quite happy with how things were
coming along. Even though it’s been a long time, I’m excited to be writing again, even if it’s
just circumstance that’s forced me back to the keyboard. Thing is, I can’t not be doing
something; I can’t get lazy. My head won’t let me, so I have to be doing something. If I go back
and think about it, that’s probably one of the main driving factors behind writing the first novel
years ago – I wasn’t active, I wasn’t busy enough and needed something to fill my time – writing
achieved that, and I really enjoyed it too.

Lunch was sandwiches – tuna salad with mayo. Yum.

Street was quiet today, and I noticed that nobody was visiting the last remaining Chinese take-
out – the place where I bought fried chicken the other day. When I looked from my balcony, I
realized it was now closed too. Wondered if they’d run out of food, but, according to the latest
public pronouncements from our Prime Minister, now only restaurants that can deliver food,
that’s been cooked to order, can stay open. This is in keeping with the Government’s continuing
efforts to prevent people gathering in numbers on the streets, as they realized that people tended
to gather outside such places and there was no mechanism to adequately police physical
distancing at such locations. So, now, these places are closed. Practically all restaurants are now
shut until further notice.

Interesting thing; at the start of this crisis, the UDP administration formed a COVID-19
Emergency Task Force, it didn’t happen immediately, but gradually as the Government began to
comprehend the impact the virus was having, on a global scale, and after the first case was
discovered in Cayo. Barrow called together some ministers and included the leader of the
Opposition among its members. Things seemed to be going great. Each evening, the Task Force
would hold a press conference to essentially update the country on their work and also give news
about the number and location of COVID-19 cases.

They soon began telling us about deaths related to the virus as well.

Today, the partnership between Barrow and Briceno appeared to fall apart. Spectacularly, but not
surprisingly. Anyone could have told you this joint effort wouldn’t last – there’s just no way
these two people could ever work together for a long period: their egos are just too big. Plus,