Everyone is experiencing the “New” World in COVID-19 times; the author penned the feature during April and May 2020, when “Spring” is trying to meet “Summer.”
Part: I, Unexpected Holidays!!!
Me sitting in my apartment, enjoying my favorite homemade coffee, seeing the outer world through my windows, was thinking about days passed since the COVID-19 outbreak. Spring vanished in the eternity, new sprouts came, birds are singing, yes summer is calling.
During these days, when Flights showed their solidarity to the essential workers, I stayed inside my apartment respecting social distancing, but few months ago, when some people in some nations did the same, I laughed again and again. Now maybe some still doing the same at me.
On the day when I came back to my hometown, only a few were there to welcome me, where are the others gone, news spread very fast “he is back from the City.” No one even tried to contact my family, some gave my parents the great option to stay at home for 14 days. I wonder, “am I an alien from some other planet.” Need to talk with James Cameroon and Steven Spielberg, and they can use me as a subject for their next films.
I switched on the TV, news, news, COVID news, thank God for my fear of numbers above 10 lakhs. Does the world only have COVID? Where are the other things? Someone lost their fame; someone regained it. TV is still on, movies running, Tom and Jerry are back along with Shawshank Redemption and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but where does I situate myself Good, Bad or the Ugly? No time to think about that, TV off…
Friends across the world reached me and talked for hours after many years, discussed topics ranging from human origin to COVID-19, and even imagined about a new world and finally planned to settle on Mars with my gang. Strictly my gang.
Many are engaged in making videos starting from quarantine cooking to fitness challenges to anything under the roof of sky. I am happy to see that many of my friends got the sudden ability to motivate the world, and the only thing I can do was just to ‘block’ them at least for few weeks, otherwise, I will be exhausted with positive energy.
The farmers are still on their Fields, not staying inside, poor creatures. Why are these people still working outside, not respecting social distancing, very sad, but I need fresh vegetables to prepare my salad. No excuses.
Hats off to the virtual world, luckily my job is still on with the deadlines! I well connected through Zoom or Google meet, is pretending to work hard, at least in front of my PC. I saved a lot staying inside, when the delivery from grocery store came, gave the same tip and saved there too. What a man I am! What will I do with this savings? May be going to Las Vegas next time and will have a game there!!!
Part: II, Facing the reality.
I applied for a degree in a WhatsApp University. I was studious, seen all the materials on time, replied promptly to my new classmates, and actively participated in the discussions. Everyone was trying hard to show their best in propounding new theories and discoveries, but they failed me because of not producing new theory. Finally got removed by someone, even did not give me a second chance.
Nights are longer than usual. Thinking about my pencil’s loss in the first grade to things that may happen tomorrow makes me awake all night, but is having a good sleep from morning till noon. Yes, a new world of night lovers is rising!!!
I closely looked at the faces of my parents after a long time, their hairs turned grey! Still have a beautiful smile! We talked a lot, Mom made the same pastry she cooked in my childhood, how sweet it is! Father still has the sense of humor, which I missed for years. Met my brother after a long time, he has a long beard but again started using my play station. My sweetheart, who is a Nurse, is at the forefront, proud of her.
The public transport is still on, many demands of closing it, but no one wonders how the souls without a car live these days. Staying inside my room, I preached about the greatness of maintaining social distancing, What about the homeless?
My sweet puppy and cat are more active than me in the virtual meetings. Now many are waiting to meet them rather than me. They make my days and are the only ones who technically don’t care about social distancing!!!
Looking through my apartment windows, Deers are playing outside, enjoying their summer, often looked at me, maybe whispering among themselves, “What happened? Why is he still inside? anyway, let’s play.”
I think, maybe wrong, I too showed solidarity for all those who fight against Covid-19, in my own ways. In the present new world, “Together we stand, together we fall,” get away with these lines.
Long Live Solidarity, Oh! No, Long Live Solidarity through the virtual world and join the hands through Social Media!!!
Suddenly heard “I can’t breathe”, wondering what’s happening. Yes Covid-19 is taking long breathe, no still hearing the same voice. “I can’t breathe”, yes it’s the voice of my brother; what happened to him???
The ugly monstrous is back in the new form, in the past they were the colonialist, in the present they are with us, within ourselves. Voice again raised across the world, it’s back “Together we stand, together we win.”
Still one question remains the same, who are the real owners of the land???
November 20, 2020 at 10:17 AM
good one.
November 20, 2020 at 11:39 AM
Thoughtful!
November 21, 2020 at 11:10 AM
You write how people feel, Awesome.