They fall into despondence and feel as if they cannot endure, but then come out of it. Some fix on a date in their mind but they must keep extending it. What makes the exile hardest is not knowing when it will end. People wait and see, just by chance, if a train is coming, but there never is one and they sadly return to their prison. It also brings a sense of exile, as if there is a void. As for activity and business, the plague brings the complete opposite-weariness, lethargy. Some people do not like those they are quarantined with, while others realize how dear formerly neglected family members are. The lack of regular communication is enervating for many. Sadly, though, such messages become more and more trite. Letters are forbidden because of potential contamination, so telegrams become commonplace. Some are unprepared, especially when they realize the town is locked down and they cannot leave, or those they love cannot enter. This is now the time in Oran when everyone shares the same fear, the same knowledge of exile.
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