The Pandemic: Through My Eyes

It started off like any normal day, me laying in a bed with my human, William, the baby, screams like usual. My human dad walks in with Hopper, a small pug that is my so-called brother, by his side. “Finn. Let’s go outside.” He said.

Hopper and I are both named after some show the humans call “Stranger Things”. Apparently, I’m named after an actor in it, and Hopper is the police chief in it. 

I obediently followed my Dad and Hopper out of the room, “You okay, man?” Hopper asks.

“I’m fine. Just the kid sort of squeezed me last night. Hard.” I replied.

We arrived at the downstairs door and Dad flung it open like usual, it always stuck shut. The sun had just risen and the grass was still covered in dew, Hopper complained that his paws were getting wet, again! Paisley, our pomeranian neighbor, started barking “Hi Hopper, Hi Finn!”

Paisley is a very energetic dog, which is the total opposite of me. I walked to the door as Hopper barked back at Paisley “Hey Paisley.”

“Come on Dad!” I barked at the foggy glass door.

“Coming!” Dad said, walking towards the door with his robe and slippers on.

He grabs a towel and pulls the door open in one swift move, he violently scrubs at Hopper and I’s damp paws. Dakota, my best friend and owner, bownes down the stairs,still in her pajamas and swipes her leather backpack off the hook on the wall. She sat down at the table and removed her phone from the back pocket, a loud “bling!” rang across the room. Dakota’s face changed from the cheerful look she had earlier to an odd, confused look, I nudged her leg with my snout. “Honey. You okay?” Dad said, noticing Dakota’s look.

Dakota didn’t say anything, just turned the phone towards us, it read:

STAY HOME!

COVID-19 OUTBREAK!

“Oh gosh. We better tell your mother.” Dad said, as he rushed upstairs.

Dakota shook the confused look off her face but I could tell she was worried, she walked over to our food bowls and scooped two scoops for me and one scoop for Hopper, then she walked back to the table. I slowly ate my food, trying to figure what this “Covid-19” thing really meant. “Gosh. Sounds serious.” Hopper said, tiny kernels of chewed up food fell out of his mouth.

“Probably.” I said, finishing my food.

Dakota was pulling two waffles out of the toaster when I entered the kitchen, she walked over to the couch and sat down. Dakota was the one who named Hopper and I, she is also our owner so I stick around her a lot. I switch off with the other kids in the family to sleep with, last night was Calvin (6), today is Willow (9), and tomorrow Dakota, she’s fifteen so she doesn’t need a guard dog to protect her from monsters or the dark like the others. I laid my head on Dakota’s lap, she patted my head, tugged off a piece of waffle and gave it to me. 

“Love you, Finn. You are the best St. Bernard.” She said, stroking my fur.

“Love you.” I barked.

Dad walked downstairs with baby William in his arms, Calvin and Willow followed. Dad plopped two bowls on to the counter and filled them with cereal, then he opened the fridge and pulled out a tiny container of mashed up bananas and put a spoon in it. He sat down at the table and started to feed William small spoonfuls of banana, “Oggie!” William giggled, banana spilling down his chin.

Willow and Calvin came and sat on the couch with Dakota and I, slurping away at the milk in their bowls. The stairs squeaked as Mom came downstairs, she wore a sweater and jeans, not her usual suit for work. Dad handed William over to Mom and went over to the bathroom, after being in the bathroom for a while he said “We need more toilet paper if we’re going to be trapped in the house for a while.” 

“Okay honey!” Mom shouted, “Willow! Calvin! Off the couch with your cereal!”

“But, Dakota is on the couch!” They both whined in unison.

“No butts, cuts, or coconuts!” Mom said, as Willow and Calvin glumly walked over to the kitchen table.

That was a classic Mom line, she used it all the time when anyone said the word “but”. “Guess I’m your teacher now.” Mom said, “Let’s start today!”

Dakota went upstairs to change because she believed that if you dress properly you will get the job done better, although Calvin and Willow stayed in their pajamas. “Honey! Can you find some worksheets for the kids!” Mom asked, finishing feeding William his mashed bananas.

“Yep.” He said, coming out of the bathroom.

He walked into the living room and threw open cabinets, trying to find some work for Willow and Calvin because Dakota had her own work from her school. Dad found some workbooks and Willow and Calvin began their new type of school. I hopped off the couch and walked upstairs and into Dakota’s room. She sat on her bed, math and geography worksheets sitting in-front of her. When she noticed me she pushed her papers to the side and said “Come here Finn,” 

I bent my legs and pushed off of the ground, throwing myself onto Dakota’s bed. Dakota turned on her phone and began to play study music, it was so calming I ended up falling asleep. When I woke up it was lunch, the smell of beef floated in the air, I walked downstairs and even though I knew it wasn’t time for me to be fed I walked over to the table and started begging for some of the delicious smelling beef. Hopper walked over next to me and started to beg with me, after being told no three times Hopper and I gave up. I walked into the living room and pulled out my favorite toy, a stuffed raccoon I got when I was a baby, out of the wood bin, it’s squeaker is gone but it’s still my favorite. I crunched on the frizzy tail of the toy until my family finished eating, they all sat down on the couch and Mom started teaching literacy, Dakota read her book, and Dad read the newspaper. “You want to play?” Hopper asked.

“Sure.” I replied.

I carried my raccoon back to the bin and then ran full speed towards Hopper, he jumped up on his hind-legs and growled. I smacked into him and he fell onto the ground, “Still stronger than you!” I barked.

“Hey! You two, go outside!” Dad said, herding us outside.

Hopper jumped off the deck and said “We can still play out here.”

“Sure.” I said, knowing for sure I would win again.

Hopper squared-up and I growled and prepared to jump on him, We both ran at each other, Hopper’s ears flopping in the wind, I could feel the wind blowing through my fur, Hopper slammed into me and I pinned him down. “Again, my little pug body is soon going to be sore.”

“Then, why did you ask me to play?” I laughed.

Dad let us inside again and the smell of dinner immediately entered my nose, Hopper and I rushed to our bowls and saw Willow pouring our food. We devour our food quickly and then lay in our beds. I knew this would be a long week, but something told me it would be longer.

The End