Flute From China
Apr 21, 2020
Story
My 5-year-old niece was pestering us for a flute for a while. I ordered one for her through eBay sometimes back.
The manufacturer is from China and the flute never came back. China was at the verge of COVID-19 outbreak at that time. Then things started to settle there.
Inara kept on asking whether her flute arrived. I sent a message to the distributor. They said the parcel has arrived in the UK and kept in quarantine for 14 days. Finally, the flute arrived the day before yesterday. It's a beautiful bamboo flute with soothing green patterns. Flute seemed worthier than the bucks spent.
My niece was elated beyond words.
And seen with it throughout the day. Trying to play 'the lion sleeps tonight' from the lion king. She watched a few YouTube videos on playing the flute but didn't have the patience to follow them. Meanwhile, the UK's death toll surpassed 1700. Family and friends are concerned and texting us to keep safe. Summer spreads through our closed windows. It's painful. My heart is heavy with an overwhelming unexplainable feeling.
'Can you stop playing the flute for a while?' 'But, I want to practice' 'I want to go to music school...'
I overheard the conversation between my sister and her daughter. Schools remain shut and we do not know what lies ahead of us. I smile, sitting in my bed looking at the brightly lit blue sky. Sometimes, children are our guides in overcoming anxiety. They teach us unintentionally how not to lose hope.
