Mother's Guide To Fighting The Coronavirus

[DOCUMENT TITLE] andrea joy [COMPANY NAME] [Company address]

Today was just as humid and hot as yesterday, Carla thought to herself as she idly stares at her work paper. It looks back at her with a glare, or that’s at least what Carla envisions in her head. Mathematics is a demonic being masked as a seemingly harmless piece of paper consisting of numbers. Carla sighs at the worksheet in dismay, sending the paper a mean glare before putting it aside. ‘Oh, if only school just magically stopped for one day. No, a week! A month, maybe forever!’ Carla wishes to fairy godmothers, waiting for them to bibbidi-bobbidi-boo their way to make her wish come true just like it does in Disney films. To no avail, she does not have her wish granted. If only she could lay down in bed her entire life, no work and no people asking her to do this or that. And then she can play all the games she could ever desire. But alas, schoolwork can only give a person so much time. Clara looks at the window where a neighborhood is—which is coincidentally where her house is located. It’s maddening, is it not? To have home be so close to you yet so far, she blames it all on the worksheet in front of her keeping her from going home, seriously! Why add letters to the mix? The numbers are already hard alone as it is. Just as she’s ready to annihilate the paper and cease it from ever existing, then proceeding to tell the teacher that the paper just somehow got ruined, the door opens to the classroom. It’s Mr. Reyes! Her math teacher, oh dear. “Ah, Mr. Reyes, a lovely day is it! No?” Clara says to distract the teacher from looking at her unfinished worksheet. Mr. Reyes looks at her with worry, Clara drops the act when she sees it. “Clara, you have to go home.” Mr. Reyes tells her.

“Why?” She says confused at the sudden announcement. “I’m afraid I cannot tell you now, although I am certain your Mother will explain it to you.” “Oh—err, well then? I better be off, the cat is not going to water itself, I mean walk—” Just as about she’s to scurry off home, Mr. Reyes stops her from going any further. Clara expects Mr. Reyes to lecture her for ‘forgetting’ her worksheet on the table. But to her amazement, he does not. “Before you leave, do take this mask with you and wear it. Also, do not forget to use your hand sanitizer when touching stair railings, or doorknobs, and the things people generally hold with their hands.” Mr. Reyes tells her as he gives her the mask. She nods numbly, so bewildered by Mr. Reyes for not only giving her hygiene advice out of absolutely nowhere but furthermore forgetting that he didn’t remind her of the math worksheet she supposedly has to pass before dismissal. Although, it works in her favor if this is the outcome she gets. Clara cheekily thinks, the brazen girl that she is. She walks off giddily down the pathway to her home with the mask Mr. Reyes gave her on her face, awaiting the embrace of her home and her Mother’s astounding cooking, her mouth drips with saliva just thinking about it. She stops dead in her tracks the moment she sees her Mother out in the front door. How peculiar, her Mother isn’t one to be outside for no reason. Too busy doing house chores is what all stereotypical novel Mothers do. “Mother?” She asks aloud as she steps onto the front porch of her house.

“Dear! Thank goodness,” Her Mother says in relief, and then she watches as Mother directs her eyes down to her mouth, looking at the mask Clara is wearing. “I suppose you know?” “Sorry? I do not know of the knowledge you supposedly know that I think I should know but I, unfortunately, do not know.” Clara says with mock sadness, Mother pinches Clara’s cheeks at the girl’s antics. “Oh you silly girl, let’s go inside. I’ll explain.” Mother gestures Clara inside. “Coronavirus dear, ever heard of it?” “No?” “It’s namely a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.” “You almost sound like a doctor, mother. Have you worked a secret job behind my back?” Mother laughs heartily, “You have a knack for draining tension with humor Clara, dear.” Clara smiles fondly, “What can we do to avoid this said virus?” “Well dear, first is to always follow safety relegation. Since the virus started recently, I have been researching what other countries have done to keep citizens safe. We will be staying indoors for the time being, when we do go outside. I will bring masks to wear and pocket sanitizers. Avoid places where people usually go to for a little while.” “Will do! Anything to add?”

“Great question dear!” Mother pats Clara’s head, and the girl smiles smugly at the compliment. Mother proceeds to pinch her cheek the second time that day. “If we were to fall into a situation where I or you get this virus, we will get confirmed by a test to see if we have this virus. The person will be quarantined for fourteen days just to make sure, a routine of good hygiene and eating good food to fight the virus is a good habit.” “Mother, to stay away from you is like staying away from all the games you tell me not to play all day—but ten times worse!” Clara says with distraught, the thought of being away from her Mother sickens her stomach. “Exactly why we’re going to follow safety precautions, my sweetheart,” Mother says, touched by her daughter’s worry. “Oh, how about the symptoms?” “Well, it is commonly fever and cough. But it could range depending on a person’s age,” “Mother, it will hurt more if you’re old? How sickening! How dare the virus hurt my poor mother, she’s old and fragile. And not to be messed with!” Clara cries. “Oh, you! You just called me old you little brat.” Mother laughs. “But I do worry.” “I know you do, and I love you for that.” “As you should.”

--- Clara laughs with her mother as they play a game of Snakes & Ladders, Mother cackles as Clara has to go down a snake because she rolled a 4, overall, it was a day worth thinking about with her mother. She thinks back two years ago. At first, in the first days of quarantine. Clara had to admit that she was living leisurely, a Sunday without school? Exciting is it not? Homework and such were excused in favor for students to rest the entire year to come. That was initially what it felt like. But after a month, it was slowly descending down to something almost boring. A rich life in the comforts of her own home, sure. But it wasn’t truly worth it when she didn’t have her friend Jacob and Kylie playing at the park together. Although they do voice chat frequently, It’s never the same without the classic pat in the head from Kylie or the bone-crushing hug from Jacob. She misses those two desperately, and desperate is the word Clara is the epitome of. “Mother, mother dearest.” Clara says cutely. “Oh my, you only ever call me that when you want something from me Clara.” “What—no! How could I ever want anything from my mother?”

“Right.” Mother rolls her eyes at her daughter’s antics, but she understood where Clara’s coming from, Clara is at the age where she shouldn’t be stuck at home withering away with electronics and books. Mother has seen Clara have a hard time in online class, and has been asked for pain meds because of the headaches she’s been experiencing since then. It breaks Mother’s heart to have her daughter stuck at home like this. No matter how many times Clara claims that this house could keep her comfortable forever, all Mother sees is otherwise. “How about a game, solitaire?” “Mother, the last time I played it with you I was destroyed.” Mother laughs, “Trust me, you’re better than your father dear.” Clara looks shocked by this predicament, “Poor father.” “Well then, I do own a few board games down in our storage space? Want to take a look dear?” “That indeed I do.” Clara says cheerfully, she turns around and heads to their storage room keeping all the old junk they never use, maybe a few trinkets and collectibles are lost in their but nonetheless, useless. What an eccentric young lady her daughter is, she’ll grow up to be someone admirable one day. Although that is as if she isn’t admirable right now. Oh look, Mother has gotten sappy all because of her daughter. Oh dear. Clara rolls a five, she climbs down a snake again.

“Mother, what deal have you made with a being to have this insane luck?” “Not luck sweetheart, all I have is skill.” “How does one even make a dice land the way they want to!?” Clara says in astonishment, Mother smirks at her, “My secret dear.” “Mooother.” She groans out in dismay, dragging the ‘o’ in the word ‘Mother’ to emphasize the betrayal she’s feeling. “Oh, look at the time. You’ll have to prepare for your classes, you’re a teenager after all.” “Not until I win!” Mother sighs but she gives in anyway, they went through thick and thin together. Mother and Clara had a serious, or as serious as Clara can be in serious conversations, about how to help Clara with the headaches she’s feeling, along with figuring out how to adjust to life staying indoors. Overall, it’s a hectic ride. But Clara and Mother would like to think that it was a rollercoaster, a fun one and a scary one, and they held each other’s hands and rode it with pride. (Not without washing it right after, of course!)

Exposition: Clara is introduced in class in a hot summer day, solving math homework that she presumably has not done. Inciting incident: Mr. Reyes urgently tells Clara to go home and doesn’t explain why, Clara is confused but she goes along with it. Rising action: Mother and Clara have a talk about coronavirus and what it’s about and the ways to avoid it, what happens if you caught it and what to do when you, along with symptoms. Climax: The italic letter flashback where Clara is said to be having problems with online class, having to take pain medicine because of the stress and ache in her head, Mother is worried sick for her daughter. Falling Action: Clara and Mother are said to have had a serious talk about their situation. Resolution: They have solved the hardships that came with staying indoors. Denouement: In a simple game of Snakes & Ladders, Clara ponders about their situation as a ride, a fun and scary one to be specific, but they went through it together.