The year was 2020. The everywhere new year was welcomed with a smile on everyone’s face. The great birth of 2020. Fireworks and parties happened in each and every corner of the world. The whole world welcomed 2020. Nancy, a Montessori teacher, and mother of two was busy with her daily routines. They too celebrated the new year with friends in a far place. They stayed in Pennsylvania.
Her son, a 6th grader left school early. She packed his lunch and said bye to him. Now it’s time for her husband to leave home, and she has to drop him at the railway station as he works downtown. That’s a quick run for her from home to the railway station. Mornings are busy, busy roads busy people everyone is busy, traffic too not bad, the busy start of a busy day.
The train was on time she dropped her husband. As usual, he ran to the station with his laptop bag. The train stopped at Exton station a small railway station in Chester county, east of Pennsylvania. Her daughter was sleeping in their home. She drove fast as she did not want to miss her daughter’s school bus.
Her day starts early at 5.30 am on weekdays (Saturday and Sunday they followed a different schedule). For a long time, her best companions are
her Smartphone and her four-wheeler car. There are exactly four signals to cross before she reaches her home. She drove her car fast and parked the car in front of their home. That’s a rush every day. She went to her daughter’s room and woke her up. Mommy 5 more minutes of her usual begging that too happens every day.Both of them know very well that both need that 5 minutes. For mommy to finish her cooking and for her to fully wake up from her sleep. She finished her cooking and found her daughter is still sleeping carried her in her arms and ran to the bathroom. She brushed changed her dress and had her breakfast, her mommy is ready with her school bag that carries her favorite snack and not-so-favorite lunch(she always complained you packed a lot ofmommy, I cannot finish it, then mommy questioned her are you really eating your food or talking with your friends😀).
Her school bus came she need to wait there for some time that too happens every day. They both don’t like to run and catch the bus. Now she is a bit relaxed finished her morning chores. Switched on the tv and watched the news that too her daily routine.It’s time for her to leave for school not quite far she too packed her lunch. When she entered the school there was a talk going on in school among the teachers. she cannot understand fully something very serious. Now she is busy with her kids and enjoyed the rest of her day with the kids she loves a lot.A fewdays passed she was following news that caught her attention but she didn’t share that with anyone. January news was filled with the killing of an Iranian general in a US drone strike. The death of Qasem Soleimani.The tensions between US and Iran.The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Brexit finally happened and in China, a new virus began to spread bringing the world to its knees.7 coronavirus cases in the US and 9927 cases worldwide. Presidential candidates take part in Des Moines, IOWA on January 14th.In late December cases ofcoronavirus were reported in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China’s Hubei province. Using of face masks was started in China , special hospital was constructed to deal with
Outbreak on January 24th.NBA legend Kobe Bryant was killed on January 30th in a helicopter crash.
In February virus making its way through China started to speak fear throughout World. For many coronaviruses were still unfamiliar senator Mitt Romney convict Trump of abuse of power. Passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan on February 12.
Our Montessori teacher was also hearing a lot about coronavirus cases. She was not scared in the beginning as she was one among the many. She continued her teaching. In March, all hell broke loose people started dying alone in quarantined hospital beds. Global markets shuddered, sputtered, and crashed, after months of economic suffering. On March 11th WHO declared it a Pandemic .2020 is an election year in US.US recorded its worst day on March 12. On March 15th Pope Francis delivers his blessings to an empty st. Peters Square, Vatican. Dr.Fauci gave a daily briefing on the coronavirus at the White House. World leaders discussed the coronavirus pandemic via video conferencing on March 25th.BBT university in Tokyo held a virtualgraduation ceremony using robots on March 28th.
In March the number of kids attending Montessori classes started declining. Temperatures are checked before they enter the school. Teachers and kids are given special instructions on handling the new lifestyle they have to follow. Montessori kids are used to the habit of washing their hands with the song ABC for 20 seconds before and after leaving class. Urgent Important meetings were called everyone was waiting for the Governor’s order. Newspapers and news channels project the count of corona cases. By the end of March virus started spreading in their county all schools are closed, and offices were closed. shops are closed. The beginning of a new life. Curbside picking and restrictions on the count of items purchased were introduced. All schools started working remotely. Teachers got accustomed to new methods of teaching. In April widespread restrictions were imposed. More than 62000 deaths worldwide.New York became the epicenter of nUS coronavirus outbreak.People protested as they are more concerned about the pandemic.
Our Montessori teacher was one among the many who lost her job. Before and after laying off town hall meetings are done. It takes some time for everyone at their home to get accustomed to the new life. Every day news fromall over the world was getting worst. Daily cases, death new cases were increasing. Even in their apartment, she could not see anyone outside. Everywhere a deserted look. Perishable and nonperishable food is bought and stored. Home turned into office and school. Kids learned to sit in front of iPads and learned to attend zoom meetings. Restricted movements were imposed, and all parks are closed. Strict usage of face masks and sanitizers is imposed. Months of uncertainty. Vacation for kids started in the month of June, with kids at home, and no summer camps. Outside food completely stopped.No potluck no gatherings social distancing at 6 feet was introduced, everything for the safety of humankind. The outside world is only through themedia, a phase every human being in this century won’t forget. She too got a chance to meet her friends through Zoom, her old schoolmates, and college mates.
In May different unrest began to surface in the Georgia town of Brunswick, a black man namedAhmaud Arbery was shot in February. The racial crisis quicklycompounded when another man George Floyd was killed during an encounter with police in Minneapolis, officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. On May, 27th the US recorded its 1 lakh death.A crowd gathered in Titusville, Florida to watch Spacex’s historic launch on May 30th. Falcon 9 launched 2 NASA astronauts toward the International Space Station. On May 30th Montessori teacher celebrated her sons 12th birthday,with no one invited, only their family.
In June “Black Lives Matter”a protest sparked by Floyd’s death went global.
Summer vacation started for Kids. The teacher was busy gardeningher veggies and her flowering plants. She along with her family loves doing it. Kids spent time playing in their homes, playing tennis in the tennis court(it was closed but opened with a time restriction). They started visiting close by parks that are open to the public with their face mask on. They too learned the importance of social distancing and face masks. They talked to their grandparents far away. They were planning to visit their homeland, India during this vacation. They missed their relatives back in India. They spent their time doing meaningful things. They have to change their school since they move to a new home. Moving to a new home was fun for them.It was exciting for them. Packing, moving, arranging they enjoyed everything. Everything went well. But all waiting for the vaccine, so they can be. Now, something is holding them back. Schools reopened in August, they get back to their studies. Started with hybrid finally they decided to do remote learning as their family felt comfortable with that.
People got adjusted to the new normal. Everyone is busy with their routines. Joe Biden became president-elect on Nov. 7 after winning Pennsylvania, NBC News projected. His running mate, Kamala Harris, made history as the first woman and first Black and South Asian American elected vice president.
Biden will become the 46th president on Jan. 20.
New news on coronavirus vaccine, Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines have similar results because they use the same technique to activate the body’s immune system.
The vaccines deliver messenger RNA, or mRNA, which is a genetic recipe for making the spikes that sit atop the coronavirus. Once injected, the body’s immune system makes antibodies to the spikes. If a vaccinated person is later exposed to the coronavirus, those antibodies should stand at the ready to attack the virus.
Pfizer’s vaccine has to be kept at minus 75 degrees Celsius. Moderna’s vaccine can be kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius. Another advantage of Moderna’s vaccine is that it can be kept for 30 days in the refrigerator, the company announced Monday. Pfizer’s vaccine can last only five days in the refrigerator. Taking Dr. Fauci’swords,
Fauci says he expects the first Covid-19 vaccinations to begin “towards the latter part of December, rather than the early part of December.”
Initially, there won’t be enough vaccines for everyone. The highest priority groups, which include healthcare workers, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions, will get the vaccine first.
“I think that everybody else will start to get vaccinated towards the end of April,” Fauci said. “And that will go into May, June, July. It will take a couple of months to do.” Now Montessori teacher’s day ends by reading the statistics on
coronaworldometer.com/#/coronavirus -data.
Just like any other family Montessori teacher’s family is also waiting for the vaccine. Hoping for the best they continued their life journey.
Originally published at https://allpoetry.com.