Surviving the African Parent

 

  Most of the holidays flew by in a flash. Mother's day Children's day Easter Worker's day Eid al-Fitr (Sallah) Even Christmas. For most of the year, everything was virtual and kept small. Birthdays, Festivals, all of it. I do remember that there were more snacks and drinks in the house than ever before. And there were waay more birthday cakes than ever. More cakes AND more cake layers. Easter was a flash, children's day draws a blank  and Christmas was a family occasion. I guess there wasn't much point in celebrating holidays when the lockdown (for the time that it happened) felt like a large holiday in itself. How were your holidays?  

 

  I have never been particularly fond of guests. My gate, on the other hand seemed fond of them. It was so easy to open and so hard to close... almost like it was begging people to enter and not leave in its own way. Therefore, there was a war between two formidable entities. On this corner, we had the economy terminator, the country ruiner, the time stopper, the pandemic causer, the feared, the loathed, the so-far undefeated champion... COVID ! On the other side of the ring, we had the underdog who stood for the people, the protector, the robber halter, the looming, the intimidating... GATE ! It was a sight to see. The gate didn't open half as much during the battle that ensued. I, on the other hand was enjoying the peace and quiet. I was almost rooting for COVID . Almost though, almost. At the end of the day, the Gate won. and COVID lost its title as an undefeated champion.  How was the visitor situation in your house like?

 

  To be honest, I discovered cleaning kits that I had no idea existed. I found new ways to clean. It was like I was working in a quarantine zone. After the usual sweeping, I mopped. That wasn't the unusual part though... Aside from the usual soap and water, I mopped with bleach. (Oh! You already did that in your house eh?) Did you wipe all your door handles in and out with a solution of bleach and soapy water every other day? Did you disinfect every surface nearly fanatically though you didn't have any guests? ('cause it was lockdown and everyone had to stay at home?). I thought so. If you did... then you know how I felt. If you didn't Thank your Lord 'cause after all the cleaning, mopping, dusting and disinfecting... Breakfast still had to be made.

 

  We all know about it.  Even those of us that have been living under rocks all our lives. It started as a 'China' problem... then became a world problem... It was the greatest gift to students worldwide... before it became the bane of our existence... Two years later and we're still wearing masks. but how was it when it all started? In my house, it meant for the first time in years we had meals as a family... because the lockdown meant everyone had no where else to go and nothing else to do. So breakfast became a family event... that happened between ten am. and twelve pm. Who else's mealtimes got seriously warped during the lockdown?