Shelley loved her gardenia plant, she'd wake up in the morning and give it a good look. She'd water it if the leaves were beginning to droop and brown. In the afternoons, when the hot sun streamed in through the window, she'd draw the curtain to shield it.
"I'm sorry Ms. Reynolds, your test came back positive for Covid-19", said the hospital receptionist.
Shelley's life changed after that single phone call. She stopped leaving her house and suffered through the symptoms of the virus alone in her apartment. She became weak with exhaustion and lost her appetite.
Battling her feelings of loneliness, she focused on her plants. She didn't have a green thumb but she discovered with the right care and attention, her plants were flourishing. Her gardenia plant required daily care, if she happened to neglect it one day and forget to water it, she found the leaves dried and wilted the next day.
This morning, she noticed a few buds had appeared on her gardenia plant. She watered it and sprayed the leaves with water.
Making herself a hot ginger tea, she thought about what she'd have for lunch. She needed to keep herself nourished and healthy. "It's the only way you'll recover", she thought to herself.
YOU ARE READING
Covid Diaries: Love in the time of Covid
Storie breviThoughts and reflections reflected in fictional characters demonstrating challenges living through Covid-19. Each chapter is a short story.
