I was ten when COVID-19 struck. At first, I didn’t think it was much, but suddenly school got cancelled. I thought it was a pleasure to have a few weeks off from school, but then weeks turned into a month.
My parents thought of a plan just in case school was cancelled for any longer. They didn’t tell me the plan until things had gotten worse. When the first person died in Hong Kong, where I lived at the time, my parents sat my older brother and me down and told us their plan. We sat there, gob-struck.
“If this continues for longer then we’re going to move to Vancouver,” my parents gloomily said.
“WHAT?!” my brother and I screamed at the same time.
“It’s okay,” my mom hesitated “We’re going to go to Vancouver first just on ‘vacation,’” she explained.
When we were excused my eyes were watery and I ran to my room and sat with my dog, thinking about what would happen if their plan went in use. I would have to start again, and that seemed scarier than anything I had ever done before.
So on the day we left for Vancouver I said goodbye to the rest of my family and dog. The coronavirus was going to get better I rationed with myself, but of course, I was proven wrong. The airplane was small and odorous like how airplanes are.
The second the airplane took off I felt woozy and sick. When my mom touched my forehead her face scrunched up with worry. She searched in her backpack biting her lip, no medicine. My mom looked scared rummaging through her purse searching for any type of medicine for my fever. I sunk into my chair my throat throbbing. I sighed. I had caught my brother’s strep throat.
Having a fever on the plane was horrible, but thankfully I slept for most of the flight. I had nightmares of moving and change. I felt a slight bit better when we were about to land that was until a flight attendant told us that the Canadian Health Authorities would come on the plane. I was starting to feel sick and anxious. The Authorities wouldn’t let anyone get off of the plane until I was cleared.
When the Canadian Health Authorities came on the plane they openly asked me some questions, which I guess I passed because they let me off the plane. The next day I went to urgent care. It turns out I did have strep throat (A month later I had strep again, it was on my birthday and I went to urgent care again).
Two weeks later, I started school in West Vancouver. I was sad and frightened to start again, but now I will say it’s worth it. I yearned for my family and friends, I felt homesick and lost, but every day when I feel down I tell myself that it’s only going to get better and it does.
It was scary to start again, it always is but with a bit of hope we can do anything.