March 15, 2020

None of us knew what to think. In my 16 years of life, it had come to be my first encounter with something that can be so deadly. My expectations were to go back to school like we always have been. I treated March fifteenth like any other day, but a little more different because it had been my sister’s birthday, more specifically her thirteenth birthday party. She had been extremely excited about this day and every day for possibly a month, she made sure to mention it in some way. At the same time, I was thinking about an upcoming assessment that I had to study for, but my mind had been someplace else. I focused my attention more on my sister, who was celebrating a new year with a new age. I remember quite vividly the items we had bought the day before the party such as paper plates, plastic spoons and forks, and the cake. When we went out for these items the stores seemed to have been very chaotic and busier than ever before, it was clear that there was panic shopping occurring that day because of the uncertainty we all had in ourselves. I remember there had been a mass number of people at the stores that we had gone to; it was also extremely loud. Everybody tried to separate themselves from each other, cautious as to what disease may be lingering in the air or what the person may hold. Very few of us were unaware of the idea of wearing a “mask”. I tried my best to make sure that I did not touch my face, as if one wrong move, everything would turn into chaos, carts had also been stacked up high with food-like peaks of mountains.

Everything had been laid perfectly on the table, and the various colours of balloons were scattered aesthetically on the carpeted floor. Despite having cold snowy days in March that day had been quite warm like summer. The bright sun had been shining through the window, and everything was vibrant and joyous. It seemed like there was nothing to worry about despite what we all heard on the news.

1 PM. The time when every one of my sister’s friends began to come into the room. I had been the host of that party. Making sure I received the gifts and put them in a secluded area. I took pictures and watched as they smiled at the flashing lights of the camera. Every smile was masked due to the uncertainty of tomorrow especially because we did not know what the next day would hold. We decided to focus on the moment that was ahead of us now. I made sure to host the activities that were going on, such as playing card games, dance parties, and balloon fights. I made sure to capture every one of those moments, and I was also the one to prepare the meals, such as the pizza and cake we were about to eat. I set the different kinds of candy, such as the rainbow ropes, strawberry sweets, and bubble gum on the table like a buffet. It truly got everyone excited. Many cokes were also set on the table, and I watched it slowly disappear every time I came back to refill a bowl full of snacks. A little part of me was still thinking of the test that I had to write for the next day, but I could not bring myself to put my mind into it. Deep down in my heart, I had a feeling that we would not be going back to school tomorrow, maybe that was why I did not take it too seriously. The day had seemed to be so long. The sun slowly begins to set, as I finally take the opportunity to begin studying. Something quickly catches my eye as I turn on my tablet. I take a quick glimpse at the notification, something about school, but I am not really paying attention. I plug in my password and head to the course material that I am to study. 

A few moments later, I remember my brother coming into the room to break the news to me, I was already anticipating the message that was coming from his mouth. This was when I knew the world had begun to fall into shambles; It began to break like glass, and there was nothing to do to solve the problem, but hope for the best and expect to be back in school after spring break. Even though I expected something like this to happen, it still took me some time to process because never in my life have I been told not to come to school. I must have not been the only one surprised by this circumstance because the phone that was sitting just next to me on my dining table, began to buzz uncontrollably. We were glad that we did not have to attend another day of school. I also realized that I no longer had to study for my upcoming test and a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was only now relaxed and I was able to do the things that I would not have done when the school had been taking place such as cleaning up and vacuuming the cluster of my messy room. My sister’s friends had still been at the party when we got the news, and it was soon time for them to leave and go home, we discussed the uproar of sudden events that had just occurred, and once they left my sister never saw them again because the next year, she went to a new school.

We all now know that this never seemed to happen and a year later we are still waiting and seeing to fight off this pandemic. Every time the cases seem to be low again, it only uproars to an even stronger wave that never goes away. We were once all excited and scared. Happy that we got an extended break from school, and sit through another boring class, but little did we know that we would take that all for granted once we realized that we could no longer see the majority of our friends ever again. I realized that I never got to say goodbye to the friends I made in the graduating class of 2020. I would never get to sing in the afterschool classes where I made so many friends and everything now just seems like a distant memory. I was hopeful in pursuing goals for track and field, but I never got the chance to participate in the track and field season.

The week after spring break turned into three months, only to experience what was supposed to be the escape of summer, but turned into long, sultry days sitting alone isolated in our homes.

Featured image source: https://gifer.com/en/3eZZ