MY INTIMACY WITH THE WORLD PANDEMIC “CORONA VIRUS”

I never thought it was going to get here too. I thought it was going to remain a million miles away from us but what did I know? Before I knew it, Ghana had welcomed the world’s pandemic with opened arms. Corona Virus was here. It made its way to us. In the beginning, it seemed like a fallacy. Most people including myself could not believe the virus was real until severe measures were taken. Our president issued a partial lockdown and only essential workers were allowed to go to work, very few eateries and supermarkets were opened so at least people could order food or go get groceries for home and oh schools were closed down. Social gatherings were banned before I knew it. That is when it dawned on me that the virus was real and things were getting out of hand. Wow! Is this my country Ghana? I never imagined a pandemic like this could cause the world to change. At this point I knew I was damned. I knew I had to make a plan for myself but looks like the virus came with a plan for me. The year 2020 had a virus plan out my life till date and here is how.

Schools were closed down and online class was introduced. I was not going to see my friends often? It was hard for me. They were everything I could ever ask for when we were together. School was where we will normally meet after we had a lecture to talk, share ideas, do assignments together, act silly, eat, have all the good laughs, share music and the likes. It was hard for me to think I really was not going to have physical interactions with my friends. Now I just had to deal with myself, alone behind my phone or laptop having a lecture or probably doing an assignment. It was the worse. One will say but you and your friends can have a group video call. No, it wasn’t the same as talking to them in person. Seeing their facial or emotions expressed, having to touch or feel their hands and laugh over things in person. This happened for a whole year and guess what it is 2021 now and well good news schools are operating now but with the virus precautions. Wearing of nose mask, social distancing. These two still kind of have me drawn away from my friends. I mean this is me talking to a friend in a nose mask and not able to see any emotion or facial expression. I still cannot get close to my friends. No hugs, no handshakes, nothing.

The pandemic kind of had time running fast. The year 2020 came and left in a rush like a flash with lots of sickness and deaths around. May their souls rest in peace and my condolences to whoever that lost a true one. Talking about losing people, I am glad I still have my family close and in one piece. Well being on a lockdown made me realize how much I missed and yearned for my dad. Yes, my dad is still alive but not in Ghana. Here was I at home with my family which is my mum and my little sister but no daddy presence. Last year really made me realize how much I craved for a dad figure. Wondering how? Growing up I was a daddy’s girl. More of him and I than my mum and I or my kid sis and I. And then he started traveling out of the country making him spend less time at home. He could be gone for years and till now he’s been gone for 3 years. Truthfully I could always feel his absence but I had school where I had my friends so I didn’t really think I needed that father figure because normally when I close from school about 3 to 4pm, I’d get home late, spend less time with my mum and sis, go to bed and the day repeats itself again. Until the lockdown where I had to be home and that’s when it hit me how much I miss my dad and wish he was around. That had an effect on my mental state. I drew away from my friends, even my mum and little sister. They’d complain about how much I’m always in my room and alone till the 24th of December when my mum sat me and questioned me about what was really going on and I told her all about it. Having come out clean about my feelings my mum and little sister where there for me. Spending the entire day at home, every week drew me close to my mum and little sister. We got even closer than ever and that’s the best part of the year or that’s the best thing the virus could ever do in my life.

The Corona Virus is literally now a part of my life which has me with a new dress code every time I have to go out in public that is wearing a nose mask. I wonder if ever the world is going to go back to the way it was before the year 2020 began.