The Early Winds

Early Vacations

Think of any time before 2020. How would these words sound?

It was early March.

The country had a handful of declared cases. There had been no covid related deaths. It was still a disease which had infected a few on their trips abroad. If they were quarantined and treated, the whole scare would go away in weeks. (oops, do I sound like Trump?). Well, that’s what most people thought at that time. We (and definitely the leaders) should have known better. But that’s another story.

I got an email with the subject “Early Vacation Announcement” and jumped in glee!

My younger one was coming home early! I walked out of the work area to make a few excited calls from the office corridor. The logistics were a bit complicated. I had a planned trip to Mumbai just before the pickup date but I wasn’t going to let that dampen my excitement.

Vacations were the only time I had with the girls. I planned menus like project plans. Shopping trips, eating out, movies, trips all had to be condensed within these fleeting time frames.

In the five days before I had to pick up the kid, the world kept changing faster every day.

I started reading every data, every research, every rumour. Fear started dampening my excitement and caution replaced optimism. The day before the trip, there was news of one person testing positive in the office complex 500m from home. I dashed out to buy masks and sterilizers even though all experts in YouTube videos insisted they weren’t necessary.

The virus was here, I would rather be called paranoid than risk my kid falling sick, I was in full hyper-mom mode.

Three and a half months later. I am getting hyper every day.