
Natela Grigalashvili, from “Village of the Mice”. Source: instagram.com/natela_grigalashvili/
Nadim wakes up
We play for a while
Then go downstairs to feed him
We find sido Tony already there
Anxious going around waiting for someone to prepare breakfast
Shaved, dressed, ready to go nowhere
I feed Nadim
André prepares breakfast
Najla shows up
Announcing that Em Lulu woke up
Najla is auntie Julia’s (Em Lulu’s) nurse
Najla is deaf
Half of the residents of this house have hearing deficiencies
In fact, they are all deaf
Em Lulu arrives
She is tired by now
Fearful of overeating and taking the wrong medicine
George appears with his eyes hardly open
He attempts to figure out his mom’s medicine program
He fails
Najla takes charge
It is around 10 am
Paola and Kiki are still hiding
Same questions asked every morning
Shul akhbar?
No issues with the question
Answering is the dilemma
Paola comes downstairs
All dressed up carrying her purse
Packed with medicine
Kiki falls
“They are still here!”
“Can’t they stop eating?”
“Can’t they do anything better with their lives?”
All questions left unanswered
We are in wartime
The house is eating as if having a big party
George is shouting looking for his hair gel
It is noontime
The seventy and above are watching the news
Half of the broadcast cannot be heard or understood
Half of the time the viewers are all asleep
Andre, Kiki and I are playing cards
And bitching in the light
Nadim naps
And so go the days
Preparing breakfast
Exchanging akhbar
Preparing lunch
Exchanging akhbar
Preparing dinner
Exchanging akhbar
I will not mention snacks
Or drinks
Fireworks are our daily treat
Complementing the festive mood
Twenty-five days have passed
We have had all the cauliflower in the world
The skies are still grey
And it would be nice to take Nana’s advice
Go for short walks
The house arrest is 24/7
The lifting of the curfew is only for an hour
Julia calls the hairdresser
A pedicure is overdue
Do not wish you were here
We are having a ball
We are discretely at each other’s necks
In a day or two, somebody is going to be killed
Not by a stray bullet
Or a shell
But with a kitchen knife