EVOLVING

Whatever the case may be, the universe still moves on. 18 months ago, we greeted and congratulated by handshake, gave our loved ones warm hugs and enjoyed soccer in multiples. But now, we begin such statements with the phrase β€˜used to'. Who knew we would ever be visited by a pandemic which does not know its way back. My sister was fortunate enough to have had the grand wedding she had always wished for right before the very first pandemic related lockdown was announced in Ghana and I was lucky enough to have had my mid-semester exams cancelled before I could make any slight move of decreasing my CWA as owing to unpreparedness. Due to the outbreak, every student in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology was ordered to leave the school premises as soon as possible. The sight of my room mate and I packing our belongings out of our hostel alongside other students, reminded me of how we were similarly instructed to leave campus two years ago on the basis of a student body demonstration which turned out violent in 2018 -when I was in first year. That instant, I just couldn't help but think, β€˜Why me and my year group? Can't we just school in peace? Why us?'. Yet, what was done was done; covid 19's corona virus had crossed borders to Ghana and we had to follow the laid down rules now more than ever - leave school, and stay at home, wash your hands ever so frequently, use your sanitizer as well as nose mask and most importantly practice social distancing. So I came home, even though I dreaded how I would cope in the Metro Mass bus from Kumasi to Sunyani without anyone coughing or sneezing around me. I had my nose mask tight on my face and even had gloves on. As for this time round, on a long journey, I kept awake not to let my guard down no matter what. I called my Dad before the bus got to the Sunyani station, so there was no time to waste in getting home at last. Immediately I arrived at home, Mom had already made an elixir of lemon, ginger and pineapple with some local herbs blended together, ready for me to drink and free myself from traces of the virus. For a moment, it ludicrously seemed like an antidote to the virus. I freshened up right after with a warm bath upon Mom's strict instructions and relaxed from a long day that day had been, hoping the pandemic would die off soon. Two days later, 3 of my sisters and my 4 cousins arrived home from Accra(Ghana's capital) seeking a safe haven. Then came the lockdown and I already had a full house; the fun had began and so had the distractions. We watched the movies, sang the songs and even danced to latest songs of Ghanaian artistes- Kidi, Kwame Eugene and others whose music we found entertaining. Days passed by and I realized I was in the second week of being at home. The number of cases kept on rising each day from 2 to 50 to 110 and the count was still ongoing. The mention of the virus and quarantine sent chills down the spines of many as it began to gradually spread in Ghana. The pandemic had become the new talk on TV stations and even trended than some stars on social media. Coronavirus had come to bring lots of sorrow, pain, insecurity and threats. It had come to rob us of our loved ones, our means of livelihood, our set plans and resources. Reading the news each day, I cringed to the number of infected persons in the United States and China, increasing deaths in France and Spain, not to mention the case in Italy. Well frankly, I never thought I would live to witness the barbarity of such a pandemic. I had heard of plagues, the new world small pox and the black death that tortured the world in the middle ages but covid 19's coronavirus had beat the populace with an easy and simple task of hand washing. Soon enough, the world was in late May and there was no sign of coronavirus empathizing with us to take back or even reduce its impact. School had still not reopened and I was struggling with some of my courses online. Lots of things I used to do at home became boring. I got so inactive and dull. I did not find interest in doing anything whatsoever. I felt like that which the enlightened called life was being drained from my body each minute. I pondered over what I could do to become energetic and lively again.β€˜See the light in the little activities you call hobbies , for through them will you be able to fully indulge in the big activities of your life', Angie -my elder sister -encouraged when I informed her about what I was going through during my stay at home. Then, I had the idea of reinforcing my hobbies and making new ones since there was no harm in trying something new after all. I tried backyard gardening, challenged myself with yoga and took a knitting course alongside working with my Enactus team on societal projects to impact lives during the upsurge of the virus.In all, I believe the pandemic has reshaped countries, societies and individuals including me.

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