10 pandemic days

My niece called in tears on Saturday. “They have closed school and we are doing something called NTI. (Non traditional instruction.) I just want to go to school and see my friends.” I tried to reassure her it was an over reaction And she would be back at school soon.

I did my normal Saturday stuff. The grocery was bustling with Saturday shoppers. The recycling center was a hot mess which was typical. The grocery was low on toilet paper but I figured that a shipment had not come in. A few people were discussing this weird “China virus.” Nothing at all seemed out of the ordinary. The radio talked about this new corona virus and made lots of jokes about beer. My 14 year old son Sam walked up to a neighbors house to play Dungeons and Dragons.

My husband and I had a date at a restaurant that night. It was fun!

On Sunday, we were at the car dealership buying a new car. One employee declined to shake hands due to the “pandemic“ and I thought he was bit weird. Others were using a lot of hand sanitizer.

I talked to my niece again and reassured that I was sure they would be back to school in a couple days once they got a chance to clean her school. “They probably just had several teachers get it and not enough subs. I know when I taught there there were never enough subs.” We were several states away in South Carolina and some flu bug in Kentucky seemed insignificant.

Because car transaction are a lot of “hurry up and wait” my 16 year old son Daniel and I were impatiently waiting. All of the sudden both our social media accounts began to light up. We talked about how rumors like to fly. However, several news stations had put up the story and repeated the “rumors.”

The rumors were that schools in North and South Carolina would soon close as well.

We finished the new car transaction and drove home. I thought how weird it was that her school closed. All of the sudden my phone began to ring. It was not yet hooked up to Bluetooth so Daniel answered it. I could feel something was not quite right as he put the robo call on speaker. All schools in the district would switch to virtual Instruction.

This seemed like a weird joke. I teach in a different district and within minutes the phone rang again with robo call from my district as well. As soon as I got home, I checked school email. Teachers were to report Monday but not students.

Monday, my kids stayed home while I reported to school. We got an Avalanche of information. None of it was clear and it seemed like it was all temporary. We were encouraged to “social distance“ from one another but were put in seats next to one another. I talked to neighbors outside very concerned about child care and annoyed about school closing.

On the way home, I heard the restaurants wetr becoming drive-through only. This all seemed a bit surreal. We went out to dinner that night but had a hard time finding a restaurant that was still open for dine in.

My 19 year called from college and said many of their classes were going virtual.

On Tuesday, we got a chance to plan for “virtual instruction“ having no clue what that meant. We put together packets for kids to do at home for the 10 days we would be virtual.

On Wednesday, the students picked up their packets. We were were given gloves and masks and told to keep our distance. It was eerie. Looking through glass at a 5 year old who hugged you less than a week ago was disconcerting.

Overnight we had to learn how to use zoom and use it to talk to our students. Every news report seemed to be about “the pandemic” but no one I knew seemed to have it. However, stores, restaurants and even cities seemed to be closing minute by minute.

Thursday brought a new set of challenges. My daughter and son in law were planning to move back to South Carolina with their new baby in a few weeks. However, the city where they lived was planning to lockdown. There were rumors that. no one would be allowed in or out. My daughter started to call moving companies and many were closing. I got in the car with my son and drove to try to help pack. On the way there many restaurants were closed but we found a fast food drive through with a long line.

Friday morning, I tried to go fill some of my daughter’s maintenance meds before moving. The pharmacy was closed.

I went to Walmart and several other stores to buy diapers, bubble wrap and food for all ogf us. My son in laws mom came to help As well and we were all super hungry From trying to pack a whole aparment in 24 hours. Stores were out of formula as well as cleaning supplies needed to clean the apartment.

I went to several stores trying to find cleaning supplies. Many people were wearing masks or a scarf or bandana over their face. When I was leaving a store, a cop stopped me and asked why I was there with out of state plates. He told me to drive carefully back to South Carolina.

The Starbucks on the corner was completely closed and people drove hauntingly through the parking lot as if begging it to open.

Saturday morning a curfew was announced for the city my daughter and son in law lived in effective Sunday. We did not want to get stuck so we quickly loaded the moving van, 2 dogs and the baby.we caravanned back to South Carolina.

Sunday brought a garage of emails from my school from confused parents, and administrators giving brand new directions. The plan of being out for only ten days seemed to be in question.