#WritcoStoryChallenge
#CoronaVirus
Social isolation had forced an eerie silence upon them. While fear haunted their existence, one question was at the forefront.
When was this going to end?
Almost three days, they are still battling their life with profound hunger, heart aching wails that almost emptied their tear glands and swell forming on their eyelids. These days were very challenging and grueling, making them difficult to breath.
‘Mom , please! Only once, only this once, just give me food! I won’t ask again anymore! I’m really hungry! I can’t control anymore! Please mom!’ cried the youngest child, Louise, holding her growing stomach that was starved for nearly three days. Tears flowed relentlessly from her eyes as a long waterfall.
The mother looked painfully at her 7 year old daughter, agonizing sadness gripped her heart. She hugged her crying daughter close to her and gently brushed her sprawled hair with her calloused hands. She had no clue to what to do or where to go. There was no one who could help her in anyway, no husband nor any relatives. Her husband was murdered brutally by some powerful political men just for some wealth, ripping him off from the family. Her parents were dead long back and her relatives were too arrogant to provide some help, distancing away from them leaving them with no other option except for begging at streets.
The mother never took any offence to it. She loved her children to death and would do anything for them. So, she started begging the pedestrians for some money and working at some houses as a maid. The pay she was given every day wasn’t enough but somehow she would manage with immense effort.
But now? Due to contagious corona outbreak, no one accepted her to work at their houses. As per the presidents order, all the people were to stay inside and would only step out if undeniably necessary, closing the begging option for the mother and gave a reason to worry frantically for the income.
At last, seeing no other choice, the mother settled for going outside, even if it means she would get caught. She can’t let her children die out of hunger. It would be selfish of her as she thought.
‘Okay, I will bring food. Henry sweetheart, take care of your sister. I’ll be back soon, alright?’ announced the mother to her tired son, Henry who was lying beside her in a crouched manner due to hunger.
Henry, at the mention of food, sat up and nodded rapidly while Louise went to lie beside her brother
‘Sleep tight, darlings! Momma will be back!’ said the mother in a goodbye manner and blew off the candles that provided light in poorly made timber house.
As soon as the mother stepped out of the house, she felt herself sweating with uneasiness as agitation gripped her whole body. The night was chilly but serene with faint noises of military vans and conversations of the cops guarding the streets.
The mother shivered a little and grasped her thin shawl tight though it didn’t provide any warmth. As she walked, she kept her eyes out for any police nearby just in case. Finally, spotting a large garbage bin, she dashed towards it but made sure she didn’t make a sound. She felt like a stealer but she would do anything for her children even if it means dying after getting caught.
She rummaged through the waste, smelly polythene bags to find at least a parcel of food. When her hands came in contact with some soft breads, she cried out in glee! At last! Some food for her children!
‘Oh thank the lords!’ she bellowed in eagerness.
She collected the polythene bag and crept towards her house with excitement tingling her whole body. She can feed her children now!
‘Oh darlings! I brought food! Wake up!’ proclaimed the mother once she stepped inside the timber house.
Hearing their mother’s voice, Henry and Louise woke up instantly, not caring if they would hurt themselves. They didn’t sleep a wink after their mother left, just worried about her well-being.
‘Yay!’ yelled Louise and sat up properly.
Both of them gathered around their mother while she served each of them with two white breads.
‘Eat up!’ said their mother.
Three of them enjoyed the light meal, just a white bread despite its stinky smell and foul taste. They just needed some food to fill their stomachs.

That day onwards, the mother started going out and bring food. She even collected water from the dirty well at the corner end of the village. The children remained satisfied with whatever they found for food and never once complained about it.
One night, when they were sleeping peacefully with no sound at all, the mother woke up to a fits of painful, wheezing coughs. She tried her best to cough silently to not wake her children. The coughs got worse. She felt her heart constrict in pain and her breathing got shallower. Tears sprang out her eyes as the mother coughed.
Henry woke up quietly and noticed his mother crying in pain. He dashed to corner of the room and bought a glass of water to his mother while Louise was asleep.
‘Oh s-son! I-I w-w-woke yo-you up, did-didn’t I?’ the mother talked in between her coughs that made it worse.
‘Drink up, mom!’ said Henry in a hurry, holding the glass in front of his mother.
As she drank, more tears fell out of her eyes. Henry rubbed his mother’s back gently and massaged her forehead. That helped a tiny bit as the mother laid down again and closed her eyes, trying her best to fall asleep.
Henry stayed awake the whole night even when his mother was sleeping just in case if she needed something.
When the night bled to morning, Louise woke up and rubbed her tired eyes. She spots her brother sleeping, leaning on the timber wall. Her mother was sleeping too. It was very strange. Usually, their mother would wake up at dawn but today, she was sleeping very long since it’s almost afternoon.
Maybe she’s tired today.
Louise thought and stood up. She nudged her brother slowly, careful not to wake her mother.
‘Henry! Henry! Wake up!’ she whispered in her brother’s ears.
Henry jolted awake and looked around. When he met his sister’s eyes, he sighed in relief.
‘What happened? Why are you waking me up like a mad woman?’ hissed Henry.
‘Want to play?’ Louise asked, grinning.
‘What? The finger counting game?’ No, not now.’ Henry said while Louise pouted sadly.
‘Mom’s sick’ Henry then told further, removing Louise’s happy expression into a worried stance. ‘She was coughing very badly when I woke. I think I saw her cry’ whispered Henry while Louise widened her eyes.
Slowly, they shook their mother’s arm just to see if she was better. No response.
Fear grasped their heart as there was not a single response from their mother. They shook her hard but still their mother remained still. Henry then noticed the arm he was holding was cold while Louise placed her head on her mother’s chest in anxiety. There was no sound of her heart beating. Louise then nudged her mother hard, her hands shaking in fright.
‘Mom! MOM!’ shouted Louise, crying loudly, but there was not a single peep heard from her mother, expect for the deafening silence.
Henry tried too but no sound from their mother.

Dead.. their mother has passed away...

The fact was still too raw with pain to grip for the children. They sobbed continuously, pouring their eyes out beside their dead mother.
Why them? Why are they only the ones to get stabbed on their heart? Why are they only the ones that get their loved ones get ripped away from the them?
The children’s mind swirled with lot of distressing thoughts, pain clutching their heart almost beating it out of the chest. Their only mother, the only one who stayed to care, to feed, to shower them with love was dead, lying on the cold floor.

It turns out the mother was diagnosed with the covid-19 when she used to bring food. All the dust and smelly, rotten food from the garbage bin has blocked her airways. She had fever but no one knew about it as she was busy caring after her children. She passed away instantly once the virus got worse in her.

Days later, after their mother’s burial, the heartbroken children were transferred to the orphan house where to still this day they wept for their hardworking and beloved mother. They were treated well with delicious food and drink but they always prefer the smelly food with their mother. Their mother dying has placed a permanent scar on their heart.


💞Always remember, a mother's love is always important than some silly gold. When you are cold, lay in your mother's arms, you will automatically feel the warmth your mother holds, the love she has in her for you. Never disappoint your dear mother as you will regret the day she is ripped away from you and even if you bang your head until it bleeds, she will never return. Same goes for your father. Love your parents and treat them with respect and love youngers, teach them to be a better and the bigger person in life..💞