bug.’ I poke about desperately to see if by some miracle a small pack of toilet rolls has hidden itself behind the tins. ‘We’ll have to improvise. What did they use in wartime?’
‘Newspaper I think, but I don’t fancy that much – it would be flipping uncomfortable.’ Erica laughs. ‘And we could hardly flush it down the loo after.’
‘Doesn’t bear thinking about,’ I say with a chuckle.
‘I’ve got to be on shift in a few hours. Have you seen my tunic?’ asks Erica. I can hear her rummaging about for her midwife’s uniform; she’ll be trashing the place.
‘It’s hanging up ready in the wardrobe,’ I say.
‘You’re a star, Soph. Just grab something and get yourself back. I need to be early tonight as we’re short-staffed and last time we ate dinner together, I was late.’
‘No surprise there then,’ I remark but get off the phone hurriedly in any case.
Three-quarters of an hour later, I arrive in the scrubby little car park at the flats. Thank goodness the parking has got a little easier since the lockdown – fewer people coming in and out and at least the idiots who sometimes park in our lot so they can walk to the shop are stuck in their homes. I guess we have to be grateful for any positives we can find in this situation. I unpack the car and trudge past the bin bags, piled against the rusty garage fronts. One of the bags has spilled open and half the rubbish is scattered all over the ground, including some condom wrappers and an empty box of Viagra. How embarrassing, everyone seeing the contents of your bin. I’m relieved it’s not mine – there would be far too much alcohol for one thing.
I carefully balance a beautiful picture of a rainbow one of the children insisted on my bringing home, on top of my shopping, delicately so as not to damage it, and trudge on up to the second floor. I am not risking the lift, which has broken more times than I can remember. I figure they won’t have any repair men free to come and fix it in the current crisis.
I thump on our door and, after a pause, Erica opens it with her elbow, tying her hair high on her head in a neat ponytail.
‘Couldn’t give us a hand could you?’ I pant as I blunder in, spilling packets of salad, veg, crisps and sweets in that order. I always figure a balanced diet means a treat every time you have something healthy.
‘Just let me finish my hair, so I don’t have to wash my hands again. The skin’s beginning to peel off,’ Erica tells me, disappearing back into her room.
I begin the usual procedure of hand scrubbing. I already used the obligatory antibac on leaving the shop, but you can’t be too careful. Then begins the rigmarole of unpacking the shopping on a certain area of the table, which will be carefully wiped once it’s all put away.
Erica reappears, looking smart in her blue uniform, make-up and hair immaculate. ‘Have you got enough tissues here?’ She laughs, unpacking five boxes. ‘Are you getting a cold?’
‘No, they’re to deal with the current loo roll crisis,’ I explain, ‘at least until I get online to order some.’
‘That’s brilliant,’ says Erica. ‘I might take some to work; we’re running short of supplies.’
‘As well as midwives?’ I ask ironically.
‘It is a problem … Jenny has underlying health issues so she’s having to self-isolate and I think there are a couple of others in the team who aren’t going to be able to work at all.’ She pulls open a packet of crisps and starts munching.
‘Hang on a minute, they’ve got to last all week.’ I laugh.
‘Onto wartime rations now, are we?’ asks Erica with a grimace.
‘At the rate we get through snacks, yes.’
‘Okay, well I won’t eat my usual two packets at once then. What’s this rainbow?’ She indicates the painting I’ve carefully propped on the sideboard.
‘This?’ I lift it gently and hold it up against the wall. ‘Isn’t it wonderful? I need to put it up on the balcony.’
‘Excellent idea,’ replies Erica, finishing the crisps in one last enormous mouthful. ‘Did one of your pupils create that or did you do it?’
‘No it’s better than I could do. We’ve been hard at work all day – the kids did an amazing job. This was Freya’s. It’s sweet isn’t it?’
‘Yes I love the bright colours, although I’m not sure about the orange, red