Chapter 7 - Maggie Goes Out

Meanwhile back at Gran and Grandad's in Camden you could cut the atmosphere with a knife.

Maggie had, the previous night while standing on the balcony clapping for the NHS, noticed an ashtray full of cigarette butts out of the corner of her eye. It happened quite quickly and she rushed into the kitchen grabbed the lighter and took one of the longer buts out of the ashtray. Smoothing it out she lit it and inhaled deeply. Holding in the smoke she felt the relief of feeding her addiction. As she blew out the smoke her body visibly relaxed. She greedily took another drag. She methodically went through the ashtray smoothing each butt out and smoking them one by one. When they were finished she knew she needed a pack of fags rather urgently.

Bill was in the back bedroom and had had his dinner. As a creature of habit she knew he would emerge at nine o'clock for his drinks and snacks. She quickly calculated she would have enough time to hurry down to the 24 hour garage on Camden road and he'd be none the wiser. She hadn't set foot outside for over three months now but driven by her nicotine craving she knew she had to do it.

She grabbed her marks and Spencer coat with the furry hood and squeezed into a pair of shoes. The coat would no longer button up so she just folded it over and belted it. The shoes felt instantly uncomfortable.

'Ahh fuck it,' she thought as she looked around the kitchen for the mask they used when groceries were delivered. Finally she found it slung in the cutlery drawer. Taking her bag she quietly let herself out of the house. Rushing along the road she felt like she couldn't breath with the mask on but persevered.

It felt frightening to be outside. Dangerous even. Finally she got to the shop and noticed it was closed and you could only buy from the window. She queued up waiting at her socially distance marking finally getting to the window she bought a carton of Marlborough lights shoving them in her bag she hurried home. As she rushed up Camden road her shoes pinching her feet gasping for breath she knew she wouldn't be doing this again. Actually that was the last time Maggie ever went outside.

Meanwhile Bill was in his den with his new Virtual Reality helmet. It had arrived that morning and he'd quickly squirreled it away before Maggie saw anything. He was excited like a little boy at Christmas and had gotten up earlier to wait for the delivery.

He had by now taken to sleeping in the back bedroom explaining to Maggie that he didn't want to disturb her late at night. She hadn't really cared and now after all those years of marriage and sharing a bed with Bill snoring his head off it came as somewhat of a relief. She had the bed to herself and slept like a baby.

Bill unboxed his new Sony helmet and looked at it in wonder. It was the latest model and he needed it to progress in a war game he had currently playing. This would make it real. Really real! Storming the beaches of Normandy would now become a reality. He locked the door and breathing rather heavily he put it on his head.

He couldn't see a thing.

'Okay,' He thought 'Step by step.'

He quickly took it off and sitting down he plugged the usb in and turned the game on. Lights started flashing on the helmet going from red to amber to green.

'Fucking hell,' Bill muttered under his breath. When he put the helmet on again he actually shrieked with delight.

'Oh my God!' he shouted, his hands flaying wildly. 'This is fucking amazing!'

Off he went into his virtual world totally immersed in this new realm of sensations. That day turned into night and Maggie sitting watching TV didn't see Bill until around twelve noon the next day when he finally rose from his slumbers.

Bill had nodded off at around four am dreaming of the game and the first thing he had thought of when he awoke was the game. He'd grab some lunch and get back into it straight away. He couldn't get over how exciting it all was and he was progressing through the levels like wildfire. He'd even beaten Bitchfaces high score last night.

He sat with Maggie that day and they ate lunch together at the small table they had bought in Argos. She seemed perturbed that he was joining her, annoyed even. He was only doing it because he felt guilty. She had wanted to watch Loose Women and sit with her lunch on her lap undisturbed. She rather enjoyed her solitude now.

She started chattering away about Covid and deaths , possible vaccines and how dreadful the whole thing was. Bill just grunted and gave nothing to the conversation totally bored with the whole subject and his war game on his mind. They both hurried through lunch glad to get it over with they retreated into their own spaces without much of a thought.

Bill grabbed a load of snacks and a bottle of Green Goblin and retreated to his den. Within minutes he was transported back into his virtual world.

Maggie stood on the balcony smoking her fifth cigarette of the day. Holding onto the railing she felt quite giddy as the smoke coursed through her body. She no longer cared about dying of Covid and sometimes thought it would be a blessing in disguise.

She had gone back to her Catholic faith in recent weeks and attended an online mass every Sunday. It gave her comfort and she prayed intently 'Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.'

She often repeated this through out the day sometimes out loud . She put a crucifix, just a small one, next to her bed with a Mass card from Lourdes next to it. Bill hadn't been religious so she had let her own faith slip but now she was reclaiming it. She had felt the need during her darkest hours to turn to the man himself, Jesus.

That night Bill played his war game moving up level after level. The sweat dripping down his back he was completely transfixed while in the living room Maggie watched re-runs of Midsummer Murders occasionally getting up and going to the balcony for a fag or to the cupboard for a snack. She had eaten the best part of an apple pie from Iceland with a tub of vanilla ice cream.

She went to bed early that night saying a quick prayer before she fell asleep. Lord help us she said and then couldn't think of anything else she just added a 'please' and then as an afterthought 'thank you'. Snuggling down in the big double bed on her own she slept like a baby.