The Unseen Guest | The Pandemic | #coronavirus

The Unseen Guest 

It's been a while now, neither my family nor I have been out for the shopping or for a walk around the streets. Nither we have been to the park, nor to any restaurant, it's like an unknown fear lingers. The flood of prime time news and panic around social media is tieing up us to remain within the four walls. The concern of our family members and extended discussion about the unknown guest is howling all around. When I see through the windows it seems everything is fine, everything is normal, maybe I need to switch off my TV or shut down my Wi-fi connection. And stop looking at all those hashtags that are scribbling my message box. I am tired of things around. 

Yesterday I opened my refrigerator and realized the milk was finished, I rushed to my husband and asked him if we can get milk, as the grocery stores are opened. He quickly looked at his phone, typed something, and said, "I ordered it online, we can pick it up." After a couple of weeks, we were going out, and I was excited, I had decided to 'buy' list in my mind. Got into my sneakers and straight into the car, my husband reversed the car out of the garage, the car was moving back the golden sun rays from the west was reflecting on the glasses and the mirrors. We moved out of the home, out of the lane straight into the main road.

A long, lonely, deserted street, hardly any vehicle was seen. Our car moving on the main road towards the supermarket, and my eyes rolling to both sides of the road. Here and there. Everything was closed, the shops, the offices, my favorite ice-cream shop, the family park. I could see the chairs resting comfortably on the tables of the coffee shops through the big glass walls. The closed signs on the small shops, and open deserted parking in front of the movie theater. Beautiful warm weather, golden orange sun rays all over, the wind that was buzzing like some music, and a bunch of birds flying under the blue sky. But not a single person the enjoy the beauty of mother nature, it was just nature herself enjoying every moment. 

As soon as we reached the supermarket, parked our car, and while opening my seat belt, my husband said, "no need." I looked at him, and before I could ask him anything, I saw a man running towards our car, with a mask, gloves, a jacket, and two polythene bags. He gestured a number with his fingers two, five, one. My husband said, "yes," and opened the car trunk (dickey) he kept the bags in it, said thanks and ran away. Life looked so different, just in a month. All those news, those numbers, statistics, and panic were real, real for real. Cars standing in the queue, and a few people entirely covered up are running from one car to another to keep the ordered things. People not looking at each other, not talking to each other. No, Hi, and no bye.

The milk we got remained in the car till the next day, then I got it washed, the bottle with soap, boiled the milk, and finally made my cup of coffee after 18 hours. I sat down near the window, opened it, the pleasant soil aromatic breeze was blowing inside my living room, and I went to a roller coaster of thoughts. All of a sudden the life came to a pause like someone has slow down the speed of life. But we people, maybe we have forgotten how to live life, what is humanity, our responsibility towards our family, friends, and society. 

A Virus, a Pandemic that is standing right in front of us open arms, walking towards us rapidly. And how serious we are, making fun and memes, blaming other people, dragging god, religion to human issues, playing politics. Also, spreading it as god's punishment. Why can't things be ordinary, why it needs to be some extremes. We never took care of this mother earth, we were never responsible towards other living beings. As humans, we thought ourselves superior like we own this earth. We destroyed green nature to build concrete jungles, we killed innocent animals to feed ourselves, we have messed up with our rivers and above all pulled humanitarian to low.

It's not fun, millions of people are involved in this pain, in this tough time, and in the fight, starting from affected patients to healthcare workers, security personnel to people who don't have shelters. Trust me, this is not the time to think about how this happened, who did this, when this will end, what next, how world will end, who punished and all of our curiosities to know the unknowns. Its time to be together, spread love, positivity, humanitarian, and a hand of help. Let's think of now.

Let's together fight this unseen, unknown guest first, let's keep Humanity above everything, let's offer our hands to help others. If not anything, 

1. Then at least we can give courage to the people who are fighting the war. 

2. The proper information to people who can't understand the situation. 

3. Help people who don't know what to do.

4. Through different video platforms, spread awareness of what's the right way to act.

5. Learn what the government is doing.

6. And finally lots of power, love, and gratitude to each and everyone who is standing in the frontline to protect us.

7. We can also feed a famished, just by hanging the extra food left in our home or give some money. 

You don't have to go near any needy, just hang a bag in front of your gate, or a tree, or electric poll nearby. Write a note like "Food for you" or "Please help yourself." Or just let you know other people through the phone that you want to help someone who needs food or anything you wish to donate. This way, you can maintain social distancing as well as help a poor and needy. 

  

Please Spread Positivity & Love. It's time to be together.  

Author

Shiva S. Mohanty