One of the hardest aspects of war are soldiers unable to be by their loved one’s side. It’s been used in many writings and movies and is sadly a harsh reality that many in this country have faced in previous wars. After the draft had been removed from U.S. policy in 1973, it was unheard of that anyone in my generation would ever experience something so heartbreaking. But, thanks to the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020, I am now one of those soldiers
Phrases such as President Trump’s, “we are at war with an invisible enemy” and Governor Murphy’s infamous, “This is the only tool we have to fight this thing. You must practice social distancing and stay home when possible”, makes me feel like were involved in Word War III. Now even the U.S. Surgeon General is comparing the next two weeks as “the Pearl Harbor or 9/11 of this generation”. Thomas and I did not choose to fight this war. It chose to fight us. It was definitely not something we saw coming.
It began the Sunday just a few days after my March 4th birthday, when I called my mom from my fiancee’s apartment in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. News of the Coronavirus was spreading fast, blaring from every news channel causing panic throughout the nation. But what the heck was it? It was no big deal right? I called my mom to ask her opinion of the whole situation. We both agreed the media was hyping the situation up in ways that weren’t necessary and decided we would just continue to follow our daily routine. So I opened my birthday presents and spent time with my fiancee, Thomas, until it was time to head back to Jersey. We were late leaving; a few minutes after 11 P.M. to be exact. The only reason I remember the time was because the local news was just coming on as I was finishing up packing. It was shocking to hear a news anchor inform the community that the first two cases of Covid-19 in Pennsylvania had been confirmed. Even more shocking, he was reporting live where the confirmed cases were located: Ardmore.
We both turned to face each other, both of our faces doused in a startled stare. I quickly ran to my phone, calling my mom. The call came just as she was at her shore house getting ready for bed. Not only did the late-at-night phone call scare her, but she did not expect the news I was about to share. She was just as upset as a Thomas and I were. At this point, whatever this thing was, serious or not, just became a harsh reality. It needed to be taken more seriously. More precautions needed to be taken. Once I had gotten home I couldn’t help but ask myself, Is Ardmore safe to go back to?
By the time Thursday afternoon came, my world had been completely turned around. The extended spring break announcement from Rowan came Monday. Tuesday more confirmed cases appeared in Ardmore and their public schools were ordered to close for the rest of the week. On Wednesday, Thomas was notified someone in his department was exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus. His company was now going into contingency and needed to work from home. Later that night an unannounced talk from The Oval Office informed the nation that travel between the U.S. and Europe was suspended. While sitting in my history class Thursday afternoon, my mom frequently messaged me with updates from a live Montgomery County press conference she was watching on TV. She informed me that for two weeks the Ardmore train station would be closed, schools were to be closed, non-essential businesses…my second home began to feel like Chernobyl. Just as class ended that day, the girl next to me announced she had just gotten the Rowan email on her phone saying classes were officially going to be held online for the rest of the semester. At this point the confusion set in even deeper. All I can think was “what the hell is going on?!”Just 48 hours ago I felt like this Coronavirus thing was no big deal, now I feel like everyone in my family is going to die with the next 48 hours.
Since I was in Jersey when all the chaos unfolded, it was best if I stayed at my parents’ house for those “two weeks”. I would’ve never imagined quarantine would’ve lasted this long. As of today it’s been over a month since my fiance and I have actually been together face to face. Of course we’ve still been in contact but it’s obviously not the same as being there with him. But, I guess I shouldn’t complain too much, Skype sure beats having to write physical letters to each other like in previous world wars. Though we mostly communicate via text which is kind of like a letter in some aspects: but a hell of a lot quicker! Skype is the best form of communication but is difficult since he works from home as a senior financial analyst. Thanks to all the craziness this pandemic has caused on the economy, his workload has doubled which means less time to talk. By the time he is done his shift it can be as early as 8:30 PM or 11:30 PM. (Yes, you read that right!) Because he usually works long hours even without the extra workload, our cat Charlie stays with me since my schedule allows me to have more time to tend to him. Since he’s here, Thomas is now at the apartment by himself day and night. He misses Charlie and Charlie misses him too. Just the other day while using Skype, Charlie heard Thomas’ voice, ran into the kitchen and started pawing at the door. It was obvious Charlie recognized his voice and thought he was outside waiting to come in. Even the cat is heartbroken!
Like many others, my patience with this pandemic is wearing thinner and thinner as the days go by. How much longer can this possibly go on? What am I supposed to do, be away from my fiance for a year?! How are we supposed to plan our wedding for next summer? That obviously can’t happen now can it?! This whole thing is just so frustrating and confusing. There is no right or wrong answer, so which is the best option? I can’t be away from Thomas much longer. It’s just not fair or right. I’m doing the best I can not to surrender to this invisible enemy we are at war against, but I don’t know how much more I can take. We’ve got to stay strong!
Stean's Beans 