Dear Pandemic,
You have stuck around way too long. The longer you stay out there, the longer I am forced to stay at home. I bet you have no clue what it feels like to have your toddler fun days taken away from you. How would you? You’re a pandemic after all!
You have forced my pre-school to stay shut. I can’t meet my other toddler friends. Sigh! I have been isolated from the world for over 200 days now. Mom and Dad try their best to make me understand why it’s not safe to go out just yet. But I am a toddler and understanding the complexity of this situation is beyond me. So, I cry (even howl sometimes) at not being able to take that morning walk to school, ride my bicycle in the evenings, play with other kids downstairs in my building area, eat french fries at mom and dad’s favourite restaurant, meet my cousins and chill with them.
Gosh, I even miss that auto rides dad introduced me to. Now, I just sit by the window at home and watch them go by. The autos, cars, random people but above all life. I am watching life go by in countless ways possible. Not cool!
The only good (a word not used very often this year) thing that has probably happened with you around is that I get to see doctor uncle over a video call now. The hospital was a scary place to visit before anyway but it’s gotten even more scarier because you refuse to leave.
Because you refuse to leave I have to endure training lessons from mom and dad on how to wash and sanitise my hands, wear my face mask and the constant reminders to not touch surfaces for when we start venturing out again.
I need to venture out again and how. I am sick of my travel plans that start from one room and end at another. How long can I sit and watch (even YouTube seems boring after a point) cartoons? How long do I keep singing the same nursery rhymes, recite A to Z and count 1 to 20?
I ransack wardrobes, kitchen racks, etc. in my attempt to find other ways to keep myself entertained. Colouring the walls is one such thing and because of this mom and dad say we wouldn’t get our security deposit back. How cruel! A toddler can’t even colour the walls. How disappointing!
Talking of disappointments, I am reminded of you – PANDEMIC. I have watched the summer and monsoon go by. I sense winter is headed down the same road. Dad says Winter is Coming. Someone, please tell dad Game of Thrones came to an end. Get over it!
Well, since I brought up the topic of getting over let me ask you this straight up. Hey Pandemic, when are you getting over? I have had enough of you. The world has had enough of you. You are not wanted here.
It’s a humble request. Please disappear just the way you magically appeared in the first place.
Give me my life back. Give me my good old toddler days back.
Thanks,
Toddler