Stay at home Chronicles

The world is spinning everyday, I am even running out of count of the days. My mind barely remembers dates unlike before when I needed not scratch my head but recalled at the snap of a finger. My surrounding had basically been full of children in the past few days, that’s before the curfew was announced. They are all not my siblings, but we share the same neighborhood.

So yesterday I decided to take a walk, my body needed a stretch somehow, so I volunteered to go buy bread in the evening. It was around 4pm, because I did not want the curfew hours to find me outside. The compound looked so deserted, everyone seemed to be ‘enjoying’ life indoors, quietly of course, because there wasn’t much sound coming outside. I slowly walked down the stairs, wanting to meet even one person, then alas, there she was.

I saw my favorite kid, Jacky, standing all alone at the gate. Jacky the little girl with braided Afro hair, always wearing a smile, and of a light skin. I was so excited to meet her, and so with all eagerness to catch up, I stretched my hand, expecting a warm handshake back, but to my disappointment, she ignored me. What would be wrong with such a jovial child, I wondered. Then, looking straight into my eyes, Jacky shouted- Corona! Damn me, Jacky is only 5 years young.

Coronavirus began unexpectedly in the Wuhan city of China, and as it spread throughout other cities of China, we thought we were just safe. Then the spread continued to other parts of the world, and into Africa, then to Kenya, and to our estates, villages, and even houses.

We were unprepared. Nations are struggling to contain the deadly virus, and so is Kenya. Our health sector is already over stretched, and as we continue to witness a rapid increase in confirmed cases of the virus, we are likely to suffer.

The covid-19 committee is striving towards flattening the curve of infection cases, a lot of effort has been put in place to minimize the spread, and much is expected from wananchi. Continued discipline while we quarantine, adhering to the curfew, and frequently sanitizing will reward us.

As the government continues to wait upon our legislators to meet, debate on, and pass the proposed strategic measures to help curb the virus, it is my hope that they will be wise to also maintain social distances, and instead of waiting to gather in parliament, they can as well meet virtually as that has been made possible by the advances in technology.

We should not continue to suffer as a nation when solutions can easily be found, and when such solutions can contribute in implementing measures that will be good for the general public and help save our economy, more so from the virus.

Meanwhile, Jacky, my baby neighbor and I will surely continue keeping social distances, we will remember to avoid handshakes, not only for our, but for your sake as well. What about you?