It is now May, and we are still stuck at home. We are not able to enjoy the beauty of Spring. Easter has passed. But as you can tell, no one was as excited as they normally would be. So many occasions like weddings, birthdays, etc, are all now canceled. How is a minuscule virus invading the whole world? Life in our homeland has changed immensely.

This pandemic is causing trouble for many people. Can you relate? Everyone is stuck at home for 24/7 and boredom is driving them mad. Schools and offices are all shut down. Kids are also stuck at home and have run out of things to do.  Last year at this time I would be playing outside with my friends every day after school. Oh well… time has changed tremendously. Streets are empty, buses are empty, shops are empty, humans are nowhere to be seen outside.  Many people have lost their loved ones during the last few months. Most people in the world are praying for this time of tragedy to pass. That includes me.

Spring is here. It is supposed to be a time of joy and happiness. Nature is now showing its beautiful colors. But we only get to peek at nature through our windows. Last year, I would usually be going to parks and I would be riding my bike around for hours. This spring, this routine turns to things of the distant past. We are clueless as to how to spend time with nature during spring. Easter has passed, and holi (an Indian festival celebrated with colors) has also passed in March. My family and I always used to celebrate Holi by soaking each other in different colors. Those memories will stay with me for eternity. Pohela Boishakh ( a Bengali new year) is also coming up. We are supposed to be very happy during this festival, however, we would probably not be able to celebrate the day. During Easter, I would usually go on egg hunts with all my friends and race to collect the most number of chocolate eggs. Then we would all unwrap our eggs and eat them all. Sooner or later, my face would be completely smeared with melted milk chocolate!

Many people had plans to make parties at this time of year. Think about all the people who had wedding plans or birthday party plans or plans for celebrating after graduation. All of those people right now have no way of celebrating these joyful times.

This is the season of festivity and goodwill. How are people supposed to celebrate the major occasions? All schools are closed and no one knows how the students will even graduate to higher grades without any physical class or labs. Will we even be able to go back to school this year? Weddings, birthdays will all have to be pushed back to a future date or even canceled. Now that everyone is in quarantine, there is no way to have a gathering.

Due to this pandemic, the government has decided that only some essential shops and pharmacies can be open. Many businesses have lost customers; hence suffering from major losses. Schools and offices have closed. Students, like me, have switched to remote learning. This way of teaching is a new experience for all teachers and students. Learning online can be hard at some point; in my opinion, specifically in math and science. The lack of in-person guidance from the teacher makes grasping concepts harder than usual. For example, algebraic equations, music, or dancing are very hard to learn online. Even doing a one-on-one class doesn’t make communicating any easier.

There are about 3 million cases worldwide where coronavirus has been tested positive. 234K people have lost their lives due to COVID -19. It is very depressing to hear these huge numbers. Many people are now mourning for their loved ones. Doctors and other healthcare professionals are making great sacrifices every day to save lives. They can’t even go back to their own family after work, as they fear that their family members might get infected.

I wonder when will be the next time I can go outside without any fear. We are all hiding in the shadows, thinking about the day we will get freedom again. I hope that this scary time passes and nothing like this happens again. We must always stay positive and see the bright side of life during times like this. We are in a war with this virus and we have to do 3 major duties, #1; Don’t go outside unless it is absolutely necessary or, #2; If you have to go outside always wear a mask #3; Keep 6 ft distance from other people. After this pandemic ends, our lives might be changed forever. We should all pray that everything goes back to normal and we can continue our daily jobs.

Aishi Chell            Copyright©️AishiChell
6th Grade

Activities in Quarantine
Some of my drawings during the quarantine

Bluebird