"I win, I win. I am going to win for sure." Rhea jumped up and down on the sofa.
Ila didn't bat her eyelid before saying, "whats is all this fuss about winning or losing Rhea, I thought we were having fun,"
But Rhea had geared up for defence. "Oh well, that is what they say when they are losing, loser...loserrrr!"
This was how Rhea and Ila fought, played, laughed, joked and fought again, got tired and slept. Rhea had no other friends to play with, so her mother had to be her friend. Ila had no other adult to talk to so her daughter had to be her confidant. They were not far from civilisation... they were not even far from the next door neighbour. They were in an apartment complex, living the social distancing, locked up within the four walls of their own flat.
The streets empty and desolate. the virus invisible but rampant. Was the world coming apart? Ila was jerked out of her revere when Rhea came running with her latest art work. Rhea loved to draw. At 8 she was bubbling with energy all day which Ila had hard time channelising. Her artwork time was the relaxation time for Ila.
Chill ran through Ila's spine, as she looked at this new art work from Rhea. One girl, just her back in a city, with tall buildings and parks and shut down shops and dogs and cats. Just one girl in the entire city, faceless, alone and lonely, walking aimlessly. She ran to Rheas room to check her earlier drawings, one tree in a desolate land, one sapling on a white sheet of paper, one pencil, one leaf... Rhea was taking this lockdown into her psyche. She was creating a lonely girl in all her drawings.
Tears ran down her cheeks as Ila hugged Rhea, "It is not going to be always like this Rhea. You will play with your friends again soon." Ila was not sure she was consoling Rhea or herself.
"Mamma why are you crying? I am scared." Rhea's little form trembled within Ila's arms. She just held her, comforting her, as Rhea began wriggling out of her arms.
"Catch me if you can." Rhea squealed and ran. Back to being the child that she was.
"You win Rhea." Ila said, running towards her little girl to catch her and tickle her up in loads.
Ila didn't bat her eyelid before saying, "whats is all this fuss about winning or losing Rhea, I thought we were having fun,"
But Rhea had geared up for defence. "Oh well, that is what they say when they are losing, loser...loserrrr!"
This was how Rhea and Ila fought, played, laughed, joked and fought again, got tired and slept. Rhea had no other friends to play with, so her mother had to be her friend. Ila had no other adult to talk to so her daughter had to be her confidant. They were not far from civilisation... they were not even far from the next door neighbour. They were in an apartment complex, living the social distancing, locked up within the four walls of their own flat.
The streets empty and desolate. the virus invisible but rampant. Was the world coming apart? Ila was jerked out of her revere when Rhea came running with her latest art work. Rhea loved to draw. At 8 she was bubbling with energy all day which Ila had hard time channelising. Her artwork time was the relaxation time for Ila.
Chill ran through Ila's spine, as she looked at this new art work from Rhea. One girl, just her back in a city, with tall buildings and parks and shut down shops and dogs and cats. Just one girl in the entire city, faceless, alone and lonely, walking aimlessly. She ran to Rheas room to check her earlier drawings, one tree in a desolate land, one sapling on a white sheet of paper, one pencil, one leaf... Rhea was taking this lockdown into her psyche. She was creating a lonely girl in all her drawings.
Tears ran down her cheeks as Ila hugged Rhea, "It is not going to be always like this Rhea. You will play with your friends again soon." Ila was not sure she was consoling Rhea or herself.
"Mamma why are you crying? I am scared." Rhea's little form trembled within Ila's arms. She just held her, comforting her, as Rhea began wriggling out of her arms.
"Catch me if you can." Rhea squealed and ran. Back to being the child that she was.
"You win Rhea." Ila said, running towards her little girl to catch her and tickle her up in loads.
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