This circuit breaker period that we are on in Singapore has lead to a time of reflection and adjusting to the ‘new normal’. In English class, I was a given a prompt to write a story titled ‘The Lesson’. I wanted to share the story I wrote as it is sort of my reflection and thoughts towards the Coronavirus pandemic. This short story was written a few days before the circuit breaker was announced in Singapore.
A door, normally a piece of wood that lets you in and out but most recently a shield from the outside world.
It’s almost been two months now, two months of new information, two months of speculation and two months of uncertainty. To think that this only started a few months ago is certainly uncanny. I remember walking down town when this all began, when only one person was infected.
One person infected. It took only one person in the country to change everything I knew. The streets never felt so packed yet so empty, the shops in the surroundings were either full of people or deserted. I made eye contact with one of the shopkeepers, his body stiffened, eyes widened and eyebrows shot up as if challenging me to enter his store. No one was inside but it was clear no one was welcome inside. I continued down the streets to where everyone seems to be.
I only see people’s eyes. No one had dared to go out without covering the bottom half of their face. Nobody wanted to be there yet everyone was there, trying to seem calm but their urgent quick movements to obtain the good they needed betrayed them. I myself was there to buy things that can possibly protect me, however only a few were left. A woman right next to me saw that only there was barely anything left and proceeded to take all. Groans and dissatisfaction can be heard through people’s sighs and annoyed words but what can they do there are no rules.
It took one person. One person took more than they needed and now everyone thinks they need five packs of toilet rolls just to themselves. This feeling of disappointment follows me as I walk out the store- ‘how long will it take for people to calm down?’ I wondered. The scary side of humanity is resurfacing, the selfishness and greed to only benefit themselves.
A homeless man was sitting on the sidewalk. I bet he knew something was wrong. Anyone who has been here before can clearly see this is not normal. I have just enough supplies for my household but this man has nothing. Just as I approach the homeless man a man places a bag of supplies in front of this homeless man. He was shocked not knowing what to say, only a smile for his gratitude.
I still think about that man today, even if it was two months ago. His action may have not influenced everyone to help but it most definitely encouraged people to help- even myself. I guess everyone needed that lesson, not to shut the world away but only the door.
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