When Will I See You Again? Coronavirus Keeps Couples Apart
2020-04-01
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1Andrea Chabant Sanchez is a 29-year-old publicist who lives in Madrid.
2He usually travels to Paris once a month to see his girlfriend Emma Besancon.
3In January, he planned all his trips through July.
4Now, those trips are cancelled.
5Travel restrictions have stopped him and many other people around the world from visiting their loved ones.
6"I honestly don't know when I'm going to see the person I love again," said Sanchez.
7He and Besancon, who is 24, have not been together since before Spain declared a state of emergency on March 14.
8"I always had a date: one for this month, next month..." said Sanchez.
9Lola Gomez is a 22-year-old acting student from Malaga, Spain.
10She also feels the pain of separation.
11"It's only been eleven days, but it feels like I haven't seen her in a month," she said of her girlfriend Sara Lozano, also 22.
12Lozano left Madrid to join her family in Pamplona the day before the quarantine was ordered.
13Neither knows when they will next meet.
14"We've been separated before, but this isn't like Christmas or summertime, when it's long but you're doing a million other things," said Gomez.
15"This quarantine means a lot of time alone, thinking, asking yourself questions - a lot of time shut in too.
16You miss your partner so much more," she said.
17Etienne Berges is a 26-year-old humanitarian policy adviser working in Myanmar.
18He will not see his girlfriend, Amber Medland, next month.
19On March 16, Myanmar ordered quarantine for anyone arriving from countries where COVID-19 is spreading.
20So, Medland, a 29-year-old writer based in London, cancelled her plans to travel.
21Still, the couple is finding ways to be together from thousands of miles apart.
22They visit on video calls while watching the same television show or having a drink.
23Gomez and Lozano share mealtimes over video calls.
24And they always video-call one another just before they go to sleep.
25"That way, you give and get tenderness before sleeping," Gomez said.
26It is not quite the same as the real thing, however.
27"The person you love should be the one person you can break confinement with, completely - because you lay beside them at night. And I can't," said Sanchez.
28He stayed alone in Madrid while Besancon went to be with her family in Normandy, France.
29As the coronavirus spreads, separated couples are facing the fact that days apart turn into weeks, and now possibly months.
30I'm John Russell.
1Andrea Chabant Sanchez is a 29-year-old publicist who lives in Madrid. He usually travels to Paris once a month to see his girlfriend Emma Besancon. In January, he planned all his trips through July. 2Now, those trips are cancelled. Travel restrictions have stopped him and many other people around the world from visiting their loved ones. 3"I honestly don't know when I'm going to see the person I love again," said Sanchez. He and Besancon, who is 24, have not been together since before Spain declared a state of emergency on March 14. 4"I always had a date: one for this month, next month..." said Sanchez. 5Lola Gomez is a 22-year-old acting student from Malaga, Spain. She also feels the pain of separation. 6"It's only been eleven days, but it feels like I haven't seen her in a month," she said of her girlfriend Sara Lozano, also 22. 7Lozano left Madrid to join her family in Pamplona the day before the quarantine was ordered. 8Neither knows when they will next meet. 9"We've been separated before, but this isn't like Christmas or summertime, when it's long but you're doing a million other things," said Gomez. 10"This quarantine means a lot of time alone, thinking, asking yourself questions - a lot of time shut in too. You miss your partner so much more," she said. 11Sharing a drink... remotely 12Etienne Berges is a 26-year-old humanitarian policy adviser working in Myanmar. He will not see his girlfriend, Amber Medland, next month. 13On March 16, Myanmar ordered quarantine for anyone arriving from countries where COVID-19 is spreading. So, Medland, a 29-year-old writer based in London, cancelled her plans to travel. 14Still, the couple is finding ways to be together from thousands of miles apart. They visit on video calls while watching the same television show or having a drink. 15Gomez and Lozano share mealtimes over video calls. And they always video-call one another just before they go to sleep. 16"That way, you give and get tenderness before sleeping," Gomez said. 17It is not quite the same as the real thing, however. 18"The person you love should be the one person you can break confinement with, completely - because you lay beside them at night. And I can't," said Sanchez. He stayed alone in Madrid while Besancon went to be with her family in Normandy, France. 19As the coronavirus spreads, separated couples are facing the fact that days apart turn into weeks, and now possibly months. 20I'm John Russell. 21The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. 22________________________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24quarantine - n. to separate someone who has an illness 25tenderness - n. gentle, loving behavior 26confinement - n. to be held separately from others