I glanced at my handbag with longing. Nestled inside was my last box of cigarettes which I rationed with ferocious intensity. It was unlikely I’d be able to afford more. A terrible habit, one that both Lexi and my dad hated, but I couldn’t help myself. For now, I ignored the craving, turning my attention to the wheel.
On the way to school, I turned on the radio, flipping between stations hoping for good news. No such luck. The situation was getting worse, not better. “Fuel and food prices continue to rise in the face of this ongoing crisis. All South Africans are advised to stock up on essential items and stay indoors.”
“Stock up on what? The shops are empty,” I shouted at the radio then closed my mouth when I noticed Lexi’s stricken face. “I didn’t mean it like that, sweetie. I’ll get something after work. Don’t you worry about it.”
She nodded but whether she believed me was a different matter.
“The virus spreads through physical contact. Wear a mask and gloves in public at all times. If you or a loved one exhibit symptoms, report to the nearest hospital or clinic for treatment.”
I snorted. Treatment? What treatment? There was no treatment. Once you got it, you died.
“The disease first presents itself with typical flu-like symptoms. Fever, fatigue, coughing, sneezing, and headaches which progress to vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding from the gums, ears, nose…” The litany of horror continued, and I switched off the radio. It was depressing, and we’d heard it all a thousand times by now.
The scenery flashed by in a monotonous blur. Gray skies, gray streets, gray buildings. There were precious few signs of life. None of the usual hustle and bustle. People were too scared to leave their homes and barricaded themselves inside. Uncollected trash bags littered the sidewalks, testament to the municipality’s inability to deal with the situation. And it hasn’t even hit us full force yet.
Lexi fiddled with her phone, a frown marring her forehead. Ordinarily, my dad would never allow her to take her phone to school, but I had insisted. If something happened, I wanted her to be able to call me. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t work.” She shook it and tapped the screen a few times. “There’s no signal.”
“No signal? That’s strange.” I fished my phone out of my pocket and checked the screen. I swung it around in the air as if a few bars would magically appear. “Mm, maybe the network’s down. It’ll probably come back on again later.”
The school gates loomed ahead, and I turned to Lexi. “Have you got your gloves, sweetie? And your mask?” She nodded. “Good. Now put them on and don’t take them off, you hear me?”
She nodded again.
“I mean it, Lexi. Don’t take them off, touch no one and if anyone looks sick, stay the hell away from them. Got it?” I said this every morning when I dropped her off even though I knew she was tired of hearing it.
“I got it; I got it,” she groaned. “Why do I have to go in the first place? Everybody else gets to stay at home.” That bottom lip stuck out again in a full-blown pout.
She was right. Most of the other kids had already been pulled from school by their parents, and half the teachers didn’t show up either.
“I’ll speak to dad again tonight, okay?” I pulled up in front of the gates and looked around. “Where is everybody?”
The road was deserted. Even considering the drastically reduced number of students who attended, there should still be people around. I looked at my watch and groaned. “Damn, we’re late. Hurry up, Lexi. You need to go.”
“Ava, look. The gates are closed.”
And sure enough, they were. A lone piece of paper, stuck to the front, fluttered in the wind. “Lexi, stay here.”
I got out of the car and crunched across the gravel. The paper was a sign, scrawled and taped to the gates. It read: ‘As per order of the provincial government, all schools are closed until further notice.’
When did that happen? Why didn’t they call me? Or Dad? Or even announce it on the radio?
“Useless bloody government, wasting my petrol and my time,” I muttered, kicking the gate. I walked back to the car still grumbling and slid in behind the wheel. “Wish granted. School’s closed.”
“Really?” Lexi’s eyes widened with surprise. “So what now?”
“Well, I can’t take you home. I’m already late. Guess you’re coming to work with me.”
“Yay!”
On the way, my mind kept looping around in endless circles. Something wasn’t right. First, our phones didn’t work, and now the schools were closed? I mean, I knew things were wrong, but this was sudden.
I never got to finish that train of thought, because I drove around a corner and almost plowed into a mob of people gathered in the road, shouting and screaming. They were carrying an assortment of signs and boards, their faces contorted in anger.
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