A WORLD IS COLLAPSING, THE WORLD IS WATCHING. Part I

A WORLD IS COLLAPSING, THE WORLD IS WATCHING. Part I

It started like a movie.

It all started in Wuhan, China. A viral disease was taking lives. The small story got the world’s attention and people started sharing fake news about the disease, many of them mocking the culture of those who eat bats, monkeys and pangolins, accusing them to be responsible for the spread of the disease from a small market in Wuhan. Indeed, it was a small story. Early in January 2020, it was easy to post memes on social media platforms, to share fake videos. We were in a world where it was fine to ask people if eating monkeys and bats in their countries was the reason why their fellows died of Ebola. We thought this story would end in China, as was the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Before we knew it, the invisible monster was in our cities. We watched the news but did not see the plague coming. Very soon, we understood that it is not a Chinese thing. It started killing people in countries where we used to go for specialized treatment. It became the news of the day, of weeks, it affected our life style, it closed our schools, offices, infested our hospital, fighting our medical professionals, killing our loved ones. It covered the world with sad news. Yet, some people still thought it was for the white and the light skin, it was killing in countries where sin was accepted, allowed. “They are dying because God wants to punish homosexuality, abortion and atheism’’ a friend wrote to me. We were making fun of something that was already in our walls, and then suddenly it affected our jobs and changed drastically our living standards. We thought it would take less than a week.

A world is collapsing, sending us back to ourselves

The invisible monster is spreading sorrow, intensifying pain, turning lives around and everything around us. Churches, stadiums, clubs, restaurants, bars, recreation centers, skyscrapers and beauty shops have closed. Airports, ports, beaches, parks, markets are empty. Everyone is trembling, including the best of the navy in the country, the most powerful among us are stammering because never before in our generation have our leaders had to explain the death of so many people without pointing to an enemy. The monster is killing the elderly, taking our most loved stories with them. We thought it would spare the young ones, it is proving us wrong. We are no longer enjoying things we used to take for granted. We are shaking in our houses because fridges are emptying; we have run out of stories to tell our children, movies and series are boring, videogames are tiring, we no longer have excuses to give our spouses.

We used to hide in a world: studies, work, business, fatigue …we had plenty of excuses. Most importantly, we did not have time for this family because a world was taking all of our time, selling us an illusion called success. A world that used to carry us is collapsing, sending us back to that family we left. Here we are, carrying this success we chased for so long in a bag of hope that things will change very soon. Yes, they will but we have to face the moment. We are learning from a family that is new to us because we are now obliged to catch up and assimilate things we did not learn from one another for so many years. We have discovered that we married people we did not know before. For some of us, it is good news, for others it is the biggest surprise in recent history. We have understood that not knowing our children and blaming teachers for things we were to correct when they were very young can be painful. The biggest encounter is the part of ourselves that we did not know before; now that we have time to think about ourselves, now that we no longer have access to a world in which we used to bury our doubts in a generic concept known as being successful, now that we have understood that the time will come when our friends, our cars, our jobs, our churches, our success stories will be of the past. Life has given us the opportunity to taste what the elderly go through. Those who have lost their parents and grandparents are wishing they had enough time for them when they were alive now that they are feeling what loneliness can mean even when you are surrounded by your own who prefer their smartphones and TV to your presence. Some of us are discovering a shocking truth: a friend who gives that kind of attention you will never receive from someone else. For some of us, that friend is a family member. For others, the majority, the friend is outside the family. Watching through windows, they are saying: “I wish I told her how amazing she was instead of complaining about petty mistakes she made”. They are missing their presence so badly and a call or WhatsApp message is no longer enough to quench the thirst for their calm presence, the hunger for that innocent smile, the nostalgia of that innocent look that reminds us plenty of stories without uttering a word. They are at home, struggling regretfully with bittersweet memories because the heart of that friend had become the safest home they needed. The only place they used to offload their burdens when they felt like they can no longer carry them back to the creator alone.  The only place where they were free to be vulnerable, to be themselves, to embrace their fears. The only place that knows their heart like the bathroom knows our body. For some of us that friend is within, exploring secrets from inside and watching a collapsing world with wonder.

Yes, a world is collapsing but the world is tremblingly watching. Covid19 is sweeping it away. Ooooh! Noooo! A world has gone. It has taken some of us; it will still take so many because the monster is yet to be fed up with our blood. We are thinking about it, we are asking ourselves what the future will be, what our careers will look like, what will change in our offices, our classes, our daily routine, our perception of life. We are still asking ourselves how we will define success, happiness, family, most importantly health and security. Yes, because the monster is hitting hard, including the superpowers with nuclear weapons. Powerless, they are watching this Covid19 highway of death taking those who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong moment. Futurist cities are no longer safe places.

This story has a positive side. Part II coming soon!

Embark on the growing and changing journey with Jacques MUHINDO VYALIRENDI                                                                

He is Professional Trainer, Conference Interpreter and Researcher.

He speaks French, English, Swahili and Lingala respectively. He is learning Portuguese.

His hobbies include Reading, Acting and charity actions.

He values your feedback. 

Do you have a personalized feedback, talk to him via WhatsApp on +254720074063

He looks forward to hearing from you.