Chapter 10: Chapter Ten [ Quarantine in the community]
Chapter Ten[Quarantine in the community]
Rhoda and Rudolf attended the community meeting that morning at the Military base.
“As far as we're concerned, we all require food to exist, as well as to become healthy and strong to establish a robust immune system capable of combating the coronavirus, which originated in China.” The speaker of the meeting said.
“I'm also considering how we can slip out and obtain our food,” Rhoda started adding,
“given that we've already established that many of the people here are poor. US military personnel did not appear to be affected by the food scarcity.” Rhoda insisted.
“We have already seen that the United States has been sending maintenance subsidies to American nationals and citizens like myself,” Rudolf explains adding,
“you and our children are not yet eligible for the benefits and privileges that we enjoy from our federal government. “Rudolf slowly implies.
“This is one of my primary objectives to bring you to the United States and apply for your green card,”
Rudolf said.
"It's impossible to realize our ambitions," Rhoda exclaimed because the president stated that pandemics endure indefinitely as long as there is life, the Coronavirus will also remain!" Rhoda insists.
"Of course, that deadly virus, compared to cancerous is deadly, we just take it slowly and accept it as part of life and we started to combat them with our antibodies which fight diseases. The antibodies are like me, an army who will not give in until all of my enemies surrender under my power and strength. You should know your husband, wife!"
Rudolf bursts out laughing as he clarifies.
“Early in the morning, the family is wide awake and aware of the presence of Quarantine in the community.
Rhoda gathers all of the safety and health equipment into her luggage, while Rudolf and Robert adjust their light jacket.
“Do we go now?" Rhoda approached. Rudolf suggested,
“I heard the honking of a motorcycle approaching, honey!" Rudolf pauses for a moment and looks out the window.
"He appears to be the barangay chairman. Are we still under the barangay's jurisdiction?" he asks Rhoda and ob-serve "Let's wait and question the man coming, “She an-swered. “Good morning!” the man greets.
“Likewise!” Rudolf replied.
“What’s our business?” Rudolf asks.
"We've been assigned to rove around the city's jurisdiction, excluding the area under US military base because our concern is nationwide. We still include your family in the declaration of the quarantine color coding schedule so that not everyone comes out at the same time.”
The barangay officer said adding,
” this will be to eliminate people's visibility in the open air.
” So, we'll be scheduling the hours of your coming out through this color code that belongs to you. I just need a piece of information about your entire name, age, and legal status, including the members of your family," the man added as he handed over the identification card with the color
Code. “He insists.
“Here's the information form to fill out, and I'll wait for it because I might not be able to return here. Just fill out your designated Color code card. I hope you already know your visibility schedules” He continues.
“There are three color codes, each of which belongs to a different category, and you can use one from each of you and the other member can use the other color code, so that you don't all have to go out at the same time.” He explains.
“ Do you have any other queries about the color coding?" the man said. He makes a follow-up.
"You mean to say that the three of us, my baby, my hus-band, and I are not allowed to go out together?" Rhoda in-quires.
"Yes," the guy says, "just one of you should go out to get your necessities, and two of your family members should stay at home safe. The next day, your husband, if he likes to go out, will go out, and your baby will stay with you here."
"Anyway," Rudolf cries, "we're grateful for your presence and concern. We’ll make you observe the quarantine regulations."
"Take care of yourself and may God protect you," the guys said.
"God be with you in Jesus' name," Rhoda replied.
"So, Honey, how can we do it now?" Rhoda asked as the guy walked away. The Wagner family pondered the matter. Rhoda inquires.
“Since I have to cash out my remittance, I will go first and do the frantic shopping for our food and personal requirements that must last a little longer before we return home,”
Rudolf says.
"Wear your face mask and face shield, and protect your head from the sun," Rhoda advises, adding,
"don't forget our baby's milk and oats, and fruits may be nice and enduring."
"I heard about the rice distribution for each family coming soon," Rhoda said.
"I'll be the next to get it and fall in line with other individu-als in the distribution area," she said.
"That'll be a nice idea," Rudolf said as he walked out after a fond kiss to his wife and son.
Rudolf acted fast, grabbing all the necessary groceries for his family and paying for them at the counter.
"Sir, alms please!" An elderly guy approached Rudolf as he stepped outside carrying a big burden.
“I don’t know what am I going to do with you, man?”
Rudolf exclaimed.
” My family needs it, but I can share some with you,”
Rudolf says as he gives some fruits to him.
He yelled and drew the attention of the guard stationed at the entrance a few meters away. The tandem had a motorcycle, but they couldn't swiftly collect Rudolf's stolen be-longings, which shattered all over the ground.
"Prrt, part, part!"
The guard whistles as he sprints toward the robbers.
"Hey, you," the guard says.
"We're famished and we don't have money to buy those pricey fruits," they cried fretting as Rudolf slammed into the three males who couldn't run since they were collecting all the fruits thrown across the ground.
"I'm not a bad or selfish person," Rudolf said,
"but you should confess your sins, repent sincerely and ask forgiveness to those you offend and to God, believe and have faith that God forgives," he added.
"Do you accept humbly now that you are committing great sins against me and my family who are also hungry, and most importantly to God who sees your heart, mind, and soul?"
The men surrender with their hands up and say,
"Forgive us, Sir. We’ll obey what you preach and refrain from stealing from today."
"You can apply for the simplest job or do farming, planting vegetables, fishing in the ocean, but not to steal,"
Rudolf insists.
“Take some of these fruits and go home and don't repeat the same robbery ever again,"
Rudolf exclaims as he separates the rest of the fruits for them and some left in the field for his family.
The next day, rice is distributed in the nearby outpost, and Rhoda has been notified via text messages to claim her share. "Thank God, I have rice for my husband and son for a few weeks," she exclaims slowly as she rushes to the area.
Rhoda approaches them,
“Okay Honey, wear your face mask and face shield, and perhaps your quarantine ID and umbrella.
“Kiss to mommy, dear son, " She hugged him and left.
Rudolf seems in agony as his wife left.
Rhoda's acting simple human being with the rest. One rescued member from the US. The military base recognizes her from a distance and approaches her secretly asking about her husband.
"He's home with our son Bobby." She explains as others gossip.
"She's that woman with American having a checkup on the medical mission team last week," they whispered.
"Nothing good comes out of a woman having American," they protested.
“Come on guys, this woman is hoar, she deserves contempt because of being a disgrace to a Filipina ideology,"
the woman harshly shouted.
Rhoda remains silent as she accepts the bags of rice and canned goods with pasta and vitamin c tablets.
“Why do they have such a mindset?" she wonders as she walks slowly under the blazing sun, feeling weak.
Her mind fights her sentiments of harshness and disgust because of her beloved spouse. She doubts her friend's con-cept, but the questions go unanswered since it vanishes af-ter a quick prayer to God and a reminder of His word of forgiveness.
When she gets home in the late afternoon, she has to walk because transportation has been stopped and all public vehicles have come to a halt to pick up passengers.
She's about to surprise her family with a smiling face as a result of the government's blessings; she swiftly hides the aches and can express her glory to God and her great family, which she so richly deserves, rather than being repulsed by a fellow's unfavorable reaction.
"We can survive, Honey," she says as her husband and kid munch bits and pieces off the modest house's fruit trees. "What are you nibbling?" she asks.
"Mum, Eat, Nice!" Rhoda inquires.
"Robert, please talk gently."
"Honey, did you first wash them?" Rhoda inquires about Rudolf.
"Yes, honey, my love," Rudolf replied.
"I even sprinkled it with iodized salts to add taste since it's a little sour," Robert insisted.
“Like it, mum," Robert insisted.
"Sweetie, darling, not too much please, because you're still taking milk and it might not be healthy for you," Rhoda advised.
“honey, please!"
Rhoda inquires as Rudolf moves away from the plastic jar containing a few little fruits from the backyard.
"Honey, I'd want to know what kind of fruit it is. Can you tell me what it's called?" She inquires again.
"In our homeland, we name it blueberries, and it grows abundantly in the mountains. We often travel and climb the mountain tops to harvest blueberries, and my mother used it for cake and pastries, as well as after-dinner snacks." Rudolf explains.
The fruit-bearing stem here is unusual. It's tall and difficult to remove the fruits from its branches. It has a taste similar to what we have in our communities," Rudolf continues.
“I recognized it the way you describe the trunk as tall, and branches are tough and breakable,” Rhoda said adding,
“We named it Duhat and blueberries also sometimes. But it should be pick out using a basket so as it won’t break when fall to the ground and get dirty, “Rhoda enjoys eating it as well but she gives Robert restraining order because he might have stomach ache again.
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