"Honest to God, Jilly, I thought he was going to kill me!"

It's Friday 31st of January and Ruben is still having a hard time getting over his disastrous slip up in Paris.

He's talking to me on the phone while I'm unpacking and labelling new stock for the shop. We've been pretty successful with the winter sales and cleared out a lot of old merchandise. He's not coming in to work today and is lying in bed with a bad cold and boredom.

"I'm sure he'd never do anything like that again, it's not how Jack is anymore. He just likes to - you know - fire off and get it all out of the way. Once he's mouthed off a bit he always calms down again. I thought he'd told you that he doesn't hold it against you?"

"Yes, I know. I only wanted you to make me feel safer!"

"You are daft Ruby. By the way, how long have you had that cold now?"

I hear him blowing his nose noisily.

"About a week now... Why, do you miss me?"

"Not at all. Quite the contrary. If it's Corona virus you can keep yourself there too."

Ruben gives a wheezy laugh, it's a standing joke between us. Any time a customer or a friend comes near us complaining of a cold, or sneezing and coughing, we both signal each other with the sign of the cross and close our hands in mock prayer. It makes the customers laugh and gives us a good feeling.

"Ha ha, har di har... cough... I intend to be back at work next week. February at last! And I will be making you do the shittiest possible jobs that I can. So, goodnight and good luck! Ciao bella."

I hang up and finish off for the day. January has been a very long month and none of us can wait to see the back of it.

After locking up I go to meet Alberto at Paola's café. He's had the kids since five o'clock when Jack started his shift, so I'll relive Zio of his duty and treat him to a quick 'aparetivo' before he heads home.

The doorbell clangs as I come into the bar, familiar with its sights and smells, busy this evening with tourists and locals alike.

Simon spots me from their table by the bar and jumps up to greet me. Desperate as ever to get back to his computer at home.

"Mamma, can I have the keys? I have to start a game online with Diego... I've only got ten minutes before it starts!"

"Ok, here you go..."

I pass him the keys and pinch his cheek playfully. It's the closest we come to expressions of affection now that he's entering the teenager zone of life. "...and don't spend more than one and a half hours on there, remember?... I bet you've still got some homework to finish."

Pulling a face, my son disappears out the door before he has to listen to anymore nagging.

As we've been speaking in English, a few of the tourists are regarding me with the usual intrigue it always creates. I smile and say hello, then I blow a kiss to Jack behind the bar and go to sit with Alberto and Charlie.

She is busy colouring in something for her homework and without breaking her concentration she says,

"Ciao mamma."

I kiss her on the head and say 'ciao' to Alberto.

He's watching the news on the television that's hung up on the wall, opposite our table and he raises his hand in a lazy salute.

I catch Jack's eye again and mime out an order of our usual beers, lemonade and nibbles.

The entire population of locals and visiting Italians are glued to the tv. Muttering and whispering to each other. The tourists are glancing up at it now and again, then returning to their own company and phone screens.

"Have you seen this Jilly?" Alberto asks looking at the screen.

I'm tired from the long day and doing all the jobs that Ruben would normally deal with and I have little enthusiasm in my reply.

"No Zio, are they on about Brexit again?..."

"It's that virus from China. They now have two Chinese tourists with it in Rome. And look at what they are saying, they are going to stop the airplanes coming from China. It's a bit too late for that, don't you think?"

Jack brings us our aparetivo and takes a minute to sit down with us, no customer in need of him for the moment.

"They were saying earlier that they want to declare a state of emergency here."

"Why would they do that?" I ask in confusion, pouring out Charlie's can of lemonade for her. "It's only two people with the virus, aren't they going a bit over the top?"

Alberto still doesn't look away from the screen, even when he searches like a blind man for his beer glass. Saying, "The couple were in Milan first, right Jack?"

"Yes, is that close enough for you Jill?"

Our neighbour from the second floor, Carlo, is sitting at the table in front of us and he turns round in his chair to join in the discussion.

"They haven't declared a state of emergency, they have put together a group to deal with the emergency. They're just going to call back our people from China and close off the airlinks."

"Ah, you see Jack," Alberto finally turns to look at us, "They'll stop it before it even gets to us. We'll close the Chinese out and let them deal with it. There's nothing for us to worry about, am I right?"

********

February rolls in. We continue our work, stopping to chat to the regular faces we meet, my doggie community are a great source of information at this time.

The old lady, who broke the mystery of the crazy singing shopper, has a beagle named Boris. He's only nine months old and his dopey expression matches his name. I meet her on the Friday morning while escorting Charlie to school. Simon walks there with his friends. The sweet natured woman is coming back from her usual trip round the Piazza Vecchia, having taken her morning coffee in her favourite bar to the left of the church.

Sissy pulls at me to reach the fountain and waits for me to hold her up so she can get her morning refreshment too. I balance her on the thin edge of the stone bowl and she laps at the running water from the decorative figure's mouth.

I call good morning to Boris and his owner and they meander to meet us.

Speaking in a mixture of local tongue and Milanese for my benefit only, Signora Locatelli - as I come to learn later - tells me of this morning's news update and the local's take on it. As always we start our conversation on the dogs.

"Sissy is getting old now isn't she Jilly?"

Everybody knows my name and I'm embarrassed by my lack of memory for theirs.

"Yes, she's eighteen this year. How is Boris doing with his lead training?"

"He is still stubborn but he is a male after all. The schools will be closed next week. Did you hear?"

Charlie now picks up her ears, grinning at the thought of time off school.

"I thought it was just a possibility?"

My daughter's face falls and she escorts Sissy to go and sit under the arch of the church entrance, to wait for the boring adults to finish.

"No my dear, they will close all the schools and they have got ten towns locked down near Milan. Nobody goes in or out! Giovanni at the bar says that they will never do that to the businesses here, the syndicates will go on strike."

********

Sunday night and we are all at home, watching the news with Angelica, who's come over for dinner.

"Do you have a bit of limoncello, Jilly? I'm stuffed full after that!"

"Yes, sure..." I pass a small glass to my friend, knowing that she has to drive home. "... So this 'decreto' is saying what exactly?"

Jack stretches out on the sofa with the kids, leaving us ladies at the table. "It's the legal notice for a change in the law I guess."

Simon perks up, "So no school for a whole week! Yes!"

"I can't get over how quickly it's spread..." I'm talking to myself more than anyone. "... People just down the road in Milan are actually dying!"

Angelica holds my hand, hers is warm and clammy.

"It's not going to get better."

Her usually loud voice is curbed and clipped.

"I won't be able to see you for a long time now. We had visits from experts on Tuesday and since last week they've been bringing in extra breathing apparatus. The wards are being set up ready as we speak. I don't want you to panic but I think you should know that this is going to be far, far worse than you can imagine."

********

A week later and I'm closing up the shop with Ruben for the day.

"It's so quiet Jilly, if it carries on like this I might consider taking another week off and just count my losses. It'll mean holiday pay for you though..."

Looking around the near abandoned street I'm inclined to agree with him.

"It could be an idea. On the other hand, Marco and Samuele said at lunchtime that they were going to stay open. And Signora Locatelli told me this morning that all the big businesses are refusing to stop. Have you seen the notices going up around town?"

"I was wondering whether to put one up myself or not, you know boost the community spirit, we need to keep customers happy, not scare them off."

"I've got the kids at home again this week, aparently they might not be going back until after Easter! What the hell am I supposed to do with them till then?!"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Charlie is a real Charlie's angel and she can come with you anytime. I'll have to let you know about next week though. Let's see what happens ey."

I go to meet Jack as per usual at the café. This evening is starkly different from that last night of January. I count only two non 'Bergamaschi' and they are Italian not foreign.

The news is playing on the tv, as it is tonight in every home and bar across the country.

"Death toll today stands at 235, mainly from the area of Lombardy and Venice... New decreto... As of 8th March there will be no movement in or out of the red zones.... Only for essential work or qualifying motives.... Cafés and restaurants are to be closed from 19.00..."

Jack and the entire complement of café customers shoot their hands in the air with exasperation at this final notice.

"What the fu...!" My husband explodes,"... What?!... does the virus not kill you after 7 in the evening or something!... Who makes these rules up!"

Ruben's number lights up on my phone. I cover my free ear from the raised voices of the bar, still giving the government abuse.

"I have to go tonight Jilly..."

"What did you say?... Sorry Ruby.. I didn't catch it..."

"I'm going to Puglia tonight Jilly. I'm sorry but I can't stay trapped here, not knowing when I'm going to get to see Andre' again... I have to go to him...."

"I understand how you're feeling Ruby, but don't you think you should just wait it out? Easter isn't far off and he'll probably be coming to see you then anyway..."

"I can't do it Jill... I'm so sorry about the shop... I promise I'll sort it out as holiday pay one way or another... Please don't hate me!"

"Ok Ruben. Take care and give him our love too."

I put down the phone, just as it begins to light up and buzz across the table with another call.

"Ciao, Angelica... How are you?"

The noise in the café is at a crescendo now as the government representatives on the broadcast are giving their numbers and new restrictions out. Somebody shouts out: 'Donkeys! All donkeys!'

Angelica is so quiet that I'm forced to leave the bar and take the call outside. Standing under the protection of the overhanging roof, close to the window while a soft drizzle begins to fall.

"Sorry... Angie... Can you say that again?"

In a louder but still subdued way, she repeats for me;

"Can you go to my apartment and water the plants for me Jill? I have to sleep here again."

"That's been over a week now Angie... Surely they have to give you some proper time off!"

"That's not possible. The staff who went to help out at the other hospitals haven't been able to get back. They need them there. We're starting to get full up here, even the corridors are going to be put to use. Can you get there tomorrow do you think?"

"That's no problem Angie. Is there any thing else I can do?"

"Yes. Stay safe."