Flash Fiction Week 5: 3rd Person Camera Objective _ Pandemic Casualty

Pandemic Casualty: Snow Day

 

            Natalie Katz sat with her two daughters at the dining room table.  The girls were already wearing their snow pants. Their boots waited near the front door.

 

            "I have a noon deadline. Let's get started," Natalie said. During breakfast, she had read aloud the email from the principal about inclement weather and remote learning, explaining that students and teachers would use the new online learning platform, POWERSCHOOL, to complete and submit all e-learning assignments posted on teacher webpages.  

 

            "Do you think we'll ever have snow days again, Mom?" Jenna asked.

            "Probably not," sighed Natalie.  "Snow days are another pandemic casualty I'm afraid." 

            "Thanks, Pandemic," said Janet.

            "Yeah.  Thanks, Pandemic," echoed Jenna.

            

            Janet opened her tablet and read through Ms. Mulkey's fourth grade assignments. She rushed through the multiple choice questions on TechnoWriters,  zipped through the inequalities at FractionAction, jotted down three  true facts about pulleys from TakeABigSci and aced the Geographreaks mapping of  northeastern state capitals. "Done!" she yelled, slamming her tablet closed.  It was not even 9:30.

 

            Distracted by the snow, Jenna had barely started.  "Not fair," she yelled at Natalie who was typing furiously. "She's in fourth grade and I have more?" 

            "I didn't waste time," said Janet, pulling on her boots. Jenna put her head down on the table and sobbed into her arms.  

            "Come on Jenna, you've got this," said Natalie, rubbing Jenna's back. Her inbox pinged. She glared at Janet.

 

            Janet reached for Jenna's tablet. Ms. Grayson's assignment list included comparing fractions with measuring cups and dry rice, writing and illustrating a paragraph about snowy memories, and using a video app to record a dramatic reading of a poem.  The third graders should document these assignments with photography or video.

 

            Janet raced to the cabinet and pulled out measuring cups and the rice canister. "Measure, Jenna. Let's go. One Half.  One fourth," she barked. Jenna poured rice into the cups and onto the floor while Janet took photos.  Natalie's inbox pinged again. She grabbed the broom and swept the floor in hurried movements. Her phone buzzed. A text from Delores. Delores had twins in Jenna's classroom. "Grayson is a maniac. The twins are losing it."

              Natalie texted back,  "OMG. Enough with the creativity already, Grayson." 

            Janet had given Jenna a piece of notebook paper for her paragraph. "Why do I have to do this? I don't have snow memories." She scribbled her name across the margin. Natalie's computer pinged again. Her hands were fisted as she sat down at the keyboard.

            "Seriously, Jenna," whispered Natalie. She always whispered before she yelled.

            Janet broke the tension. "Mom type this quick."  Natalie complied as Janet blurted, "Snow Day by Jenna I remember the time we had a snow day we drank hot chocolate and played video games we went sledding on the big hill with our neighbors we made a snow man in our front yard.  I love snow days."  

            "What about the colorful illustration?" whined Jenna.

            "Mom! Google images.  Snowman," Janet yelled as she ran down the hall clomping in her snow boots.  She returned with an open book that she shoved at Jenna.  "Read this. Quick. "

            "Ms. Grayson said we get extra credit if we wear a costume."

            Janet clicked on the movie app. "Seriously, Jenna. We don't have time for stupid costumes. Read the poem."  

            Sniffling, Jenna read Happy Endings by Shel Silverstein.

 

There are no happy endings.

Endings are the saddest part,

So just give me a happy middle

And a very happy start.

 

            "Was it dramatic?" Jenna asked, looking from her mother to her sister.

            "You were crying, Jenna! That's dramatic," said Janet, clicking the submit button.

            "It really was," said Natalie.

 

            At 10:10, Jenna and Janet headed out the door to join their neighbors. Natalie stayed behind and finished her article in the nick of time.  The Katz family spent the afternoon building a snowman.