the anxiety of what is to come
I just finished serving my family egusi soup and went to my room to eat mine alone. I wanted to hear what they would say about the soup from there. Not long after, I heard my dad say, "This soup is 100/100 minus nothing," and the others burst out laughing. I smiled to myself, happy they enjoyed it.
The laughter didn’t last long because the room became quiet again. My dad loves silence whenever he’s watching the news, so everyone settled down quickly. I relaxed, thinking the evening was back to normal. Suddenly, I heard my dad’s voice again, "China, una don start again," and my elder brother added, "Which one be HMPV? This one na season 2 of 2020."
I rushed out of my room to see what was happening. The TV screen showed a headline about a new disease in China called Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV). They showed people wearing face masks, just like the early days of COVID-19. My heart skipped a beat as the memories of lockdown, fear, and uncertainty came rushing back.
I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to feel. After a while, I went back to my room and sat quietly. “God, please don’t let this turn into another lockdown,” I prayed. I didn’t know what else to do, so I just sat there, hoping this wouldn’t be a repeat of 2020.
The laughter didn’t last long because the room became quiet again. My dad loves silence whenever he’s watching the news, so everyone settled down quickly. I relaxed, thinking the evening was back to normal. Suddenly, I heard my dad’s voice again, "China, una don start again," and my elder brother added, "Which one be HMPV? This one na season 2 of 2020."
I rushed out of my room to see what was happening. The TV screen showed a headline about a new disease in China called Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV). They showed people wearing face masks, just like the early days of COVID-19. My heart skipped a beat as the memories of lockdown, fear, and uncertainty came rushing back.
I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to feel. After a while, I went back to my room and sat quietly. “God, please don’t let this turn into another lockdown,” I prayed. I didn’t know what else to do, so I just sat there, hoping this wouldn’t be a repeat of 2020.
