The Beginning of Covid

THIS DAY LAST YEAR - Chapter 7

Beginning of Covid

April 25th, 2021

It was a Sunday, and we geared for the morning online church service. Though sick, Maa made the bread for communion, and we joined the worship service. I had my eye on dad as he had a temperature the previous night, but he did not seem active. He was dull and tired. I was in a fix as I did not know whom to share with. I could not tell Mumma as she would panic, nor could I tell dad as he himself was sick. I told Daddy to rest and not preach, but he did not give a damn about his health. In fact, he said that in such times we ought to serve the Lord more. So I had to back off, and Dad went ahead and began the sermon. I sat there before daddy, just smiling with pride watching him going strong for the Lord, a smile that was about to fade away. Within the next few minutes, I had a panic attack seeing Mumma.

During the sermon, Maa called and asked me to immediately come to her room. She said hurry up! I did not suspect anything, so I arranged everything for Dad and went to Mumma. The first glance I had of Mumma as I walked into the room horrified me. Mumma was having palpitations, and she was unable to stay still. Her entire body was shaking. When I say shaking, I mean like literally shaking. For a second, I thought she was getting fits. Maa could not even talk clearly, so she pointed out the oximeter and asked me to check her pulse. I was shocked to see the reading. Mumma’s heartbeat was 240. She then started breathing heavily, I was so blank. I did not know what to do, Dad was in the middle of preaching, and nobody else was in the house. I called Mumma’s doctor, and he gave me the names of a few medicines and told me to keep Mumma in a cold environment. I did all I could do with a straight face. I was losing it looking at maa breathing heavily, all kinds of thoughts flew over my mind. I held onto my tears for Mumma and made 20 calls to different people ( Mumma’s doctor, dialysis department, Sumalata Vinod aunty, Esther Akka, dialysis department head).

After taking the medicine, Maa’s heartbeat came to 200. Not knowing what to do, I just opened my phone and played a few songs. I made Mumma lie in my lap and held her right. With time she was back to normal. After church, Daddy came into the room, I told him everything, and he just said one thing - ‘Thank you, Jesus, and we prayed together. By the evening, Dad's symptoms were slowly showing up. Not knowing the real reason, we booked a Covid test and called it a day.

April 26th, 2021

Maa went for dialysis early in the morning and was home in the afternoon. Dad suddenly sent me out of the room and asked me to stay away. Maa knew dad was trying to tell us something, so she asked him if he got his test results. He replied, Say Praise The Lord and Thank you, Jesus, immediately after we said it. He told us that he was positive, and Maa was petrified. I had to keep her away from dad and myself, I was with dad for the past few days.

The worst thing is that from the time Maa came back from the hospital, we did not get to spend time together as a family. Immediately after the hospital, the doctor's orders kept us away, and now it was Covid. The three of us felt as if we were thrown away from each other, we were distant, we were pulled away from each other. Dad quarantined himself in the room. Now Maa and I had to get tested. As mummy was a dialysis patient, only an RTPCR would not be sufficient. So Maa required a CT scan and an RTPCR. We discussed going the next day, so Maa and I just laughed about the situation as we were so helpless. We watched a Christian missionary biopic and slept away from each other.

April 27th, 2021

Maa and I got ready for our test, and as it was a Covid test, nobody else would take us, so we had no option but to go together. We had our joyous ride with music and jammed on a few worship songs. We reached the lab, gave our samples, got the CT Scan done, and came home. On the way back, Maa said, 2021 looks a little messed up don’t know what is in store for us this year. I immediately diverted Mumma’s mind with her favorite song. It was a still and quiet evening filled with tension and fear. Just when I thought, now nothing else will happen, I began showing symptoms. I immediately took medicines and slept.

April 28th, April

I woke to the doctor’s call, having a sore throat and a tasteless tongue. I spoke to the doctor, and he told me about my condition. Maa had tears in her eyes, I could see she was scared to see both Dad and me positive. I quarantined myself, and Maa took over the living room. It was really hot in the living room, yet Maa bared it all. She had a cooler and slept in front of it like a little baby. Every now and then, Dad and I came out of our rooms to check on Mummy.

We had loud family prayers every day. The three of us would scream to the toppers of our voices so that the other two could hear. We recited Psalm 91 every day before going to bed.

Dear Reader,

Yes, the pandemic has been really bad. But be thankful for what you have. I see many people complaining about missing birthdays, graduation, farewells, weddings, and having fun during the pandemic. Every time I hear them complain about these things, I feel, what should I say. I lost something that can never come back to me. I lost a part of me. I lost my best friend, my mentor, my guide, my everything. And you get to complain.

I’m sorry. But these things are nothing compared to what people like me went through. Be grateful if you did not lose a loved one to Covid, be thankful if you did not lose a parent to Covid, and above all be indebted to God if you did not lose your mother to Covid. Because you are more fortunate than I am, and you have something that I lost.

And this was how Covid struck us

These Days Last Year.

By HIS Grace,

A Daughter with A Mother in Heaven.

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