Sam sat alone waiting for his mother to come home. It had got late today. She would usually come around 4, but today it had got late. He tried to reach her mobile. The landline seemed to be out of order. His parents had given him a small Nokia phone to keep in touch in such circumstances, but he had misplaced it. May be he could call her on teams, the app with which sometimes he would message her when in school. The ringtone went, but her mom did not reply. By the time she reached home an hour late, Sam was in tears. What had happened to her mom? She was a doctor. Had she got Corona? He didn’t even know what this virus did but all he knew many people were dying in Italy and cases were rising. All these fears had been lurking in his mind for the last one hour.
Covid 19 had changed the world. Ever since the virus creeped outside the wet market of Wuhan, it had been creating waves, which had been crashing down people, families, economies and everything else what came in the way.
They had a vacation planned to Europe in the month of March. He had always wanted to go to Europe. He wanted to see Snowfall, he wanted to see in real the videos he see on Youtube, and Covid had got his vacation dishevelled. At first Sam had been happy. It had been the last day of his exams in grade 6. He had come home thrilled. Not even a week more to bear!
“Thank you Corona, No more school till we fly off to Europe!” Sam had cried this till he slept. What was more delightful, was the fact that schools wouldn”t open till mid april. For the next few days, mom didn’t ask to study even. Exams were over. He watched a lots of movies, videos, played a lot on Playstation.
“It’s not safe to travel.”
“What if we fall sick where we go and then if we get stuck at airport” He heard Mom and Dad talking. Covid had spread via Italy to europe and many countries had started putting travel restrictions.
“We will lose a lot of money though.” Dad replied.
The crux of the discussion was that they cancelled the trip 3 days before they were to fly. Austria had closed its borders and so had Czech republic on the day of the flight.
“Coronavirus – you suck ! I love travelling and I like when my mom and dad are around. It’s so much fun.” This time, it was a whisper and though Sam carried on with his life, he was not delighted.
Soon, the cases started increasing in the country he lived. They stopped going to movies and restaurants. At first, he would go down to play with his gully friends in the evenings. Soon, the governments everywhere including where he lived started putting restrictions and children stopped playing in the evenings. It also meant mom and dad busier and Sam didn’t even cry foul.
” Do you have a patient in your ICU, Dad?” Sam asked his papa.
“Yes” he had replied.
He sensed his Dad more tense in the coming weeks. Mom too avoided kissing Sam or giving him a hug when she came back from work.
Sam didn’t like covid anymore. He wanted to go out and play.
“Work from home” He read in the newspaper. He was thrilled but soon realized his parents are frontliners in this war against covid. His best friend Karen had both his parents working from home. He was jealous. For him, It meant lonely days ahead.
It is my first season with #MyFriendAlexa and i am going to talk how children sensed the changes in the world due to covid in the last few months.
I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My friend Alexa. https://www.theblogchatter.com/
The Vagabond 
Such a thought provoking post, loved reading it. Yes, so much has happened and we really don’t know what must be going in those little brains, what the kids must be thinking. Looking forward to your posts.
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Thanks Rashi
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This is the sad reality of our times. Children were excited about their summer vacations and they were confined to their homes and made to witness their parents working from home all day. Well written!
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some had to witness parents working from home and some like kids of frontliners were left alone stranded without parents. Thanks for reading Varsh
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Being from the medical profession I do see how it must have been for your family Ruchi. Are these the thoughts of your son too? The children have had it tough.
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Some of them yes but more like what I observed in interaction with others ..the 1st para yes it actually happened with him
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Well written and expressed, certainly kids have gone thru a lot yet I will say they co-operated without any demands. I’m thankful they somehow understood and sailed with all of us in the last 6-7 months.
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Yes PraGun totally agree …my son hardly complained
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It’s really sad for children. I remember my daughter jumping with glee as her schools closed , who knew it will go long so much . Now she is tired to sitting at home, wants to go back swimming & school.
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Ditto ! Here schools opened partially and my son now goes two days in a week. Very few kids started coming but he just grabbed the option with open hands even though most of his classmates choose online
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As if there was not already too much for the kids to learn that they now have to cope up with these new realities of the pandemic. But the brighter side is children learn faster than adults and they are the best to cope with it. All the very best for your first alexa and this wonderful theme. Lage raho.
#MyFriendAlexa #ContemplationOfaJoker #Jokerophilia
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Thanks buddy. Second that children adjust faster than adults
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The smaller kids still don’t understand what Corona truly is, and it’s implications. Yes, everyone who had planned for the holidays had to cancel them, incurring financial and emotional losses. Sigh!
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Smaller kids are worst hit .. development requires that child to child environment ..let’s hope this passes soon
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Gosh, I remeber going over this discussion in my house
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Every family’s story
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Seeing the after effects of a child with parents who are front line workers. This indeed is a wonderful take on this topic!
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Thank you for reading
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I am writing on a similar theme but in Hindi, this would be fun to read see varied POVs of the same experience
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I’ll surely read that
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No wonder doctors are said to be God’s messengers! The sacrifices they make is praiseworthy. Lovely post Ruchi. Looking forward to more.
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Thanks Ginia. I’m glad you are enjoying
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the story is hitting so close to reality it’s happening in the medical fraternity right now too… let’s hope things get better soon
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Yes medical faternity is hit badly
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Very well written story and so true to the reality. The front line warriors are most affected and their children are the sufferer.
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being on frontline cant agree more
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Ruchi, I totally loved the piece. The little ones are under so much stress that may not be visible. You have highlighted a very delicate aspect that might get lost in all the Corona Chaos.
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Thanks for reading and i agree they are the worst hit.
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100% agree!
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I have been wondering what children are making of the pandemic, Ruchi. A great perspective to examine.
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Thanks Corinne.. children are suffering in this.
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Such a thoughproving post, kids are really suffering in these time
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Yup education in terms of subjects might be imparted but students are missing out on social, psychological development
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Such a lovely post in the form of a story. This is a story of every Sam out there. Corona really sucks and hope this gets over soon. Thanks for sharing this.
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This is such a true fact. We loved this situation unknowingly for all the extra time it gave it to us. Then slowly, its negatives came out and we found ourselves trapped!
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Kids always have different and novel perspective everything around them.
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You have so nicely shared the thoughts of many kids. I am sure they would be feeling these emotions, as adults we have seen the difference. I feel we really need to applaud their understanding and sacrifices in these times too.
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Oh yes! Youngsters have sensed the situation in a better manner. And many a times, youngsters advise their parents to be careful and refrain from going out.
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This is really a make-me-think kind of post. Seeing the pandemic through the eyes of an innocent child and how it affects him.
Sad reality the end of which seems far far away.
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I liked your theme a lot. It is much needed in today’s time.
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Sad.. Really.. I and my school friends had our Goa plan fixed.. Airbnb booked, car booked, flights to and fro booked.. But at the end moment we all had to cancel… It was a lot of savings . And so sad.. Almost after 9 years we were planning something other than our regular meet and greet.. Tough life these days..
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This one hit close to home, my sister and her husband both are frontline workers and while all of us have been working from home, they have been going to the hospital. They also have an only son. A beautiful post.
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A post now each one of us pandemic survivors can relate to & the toll it has played on every one’s life in so many different ways.
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Be it school kids or working professionals like us, no one likes covid any more! I too had a vacation planned in March and I can cry like a kid any day! Loved the way you have crafted the story!
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this is heartbreaking. The little ones have suffered and lived through this phase so bravely. The worst part is, they don’t even know what to think half the times.
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Well imagined from a child’s perspective.
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It is tough for us but it is tougher for kids, looking at situations via kid’s perspective is heartbreaking. A well thought of and well-written post indeed 🙂
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I always feel sorry for the kids and the way life has changed for them…hopefully, all will be normal soon…
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Let’s hope and pray that
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Can’t even begin to imagine how the families of these front liners must be coping with this crisis. They are fighting this virus each day so that we can sleep peacefully at night.
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Thanks for reading and reciprocating the feeling
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Thanks for reading and reciprocating the feeling
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