Granny Ivy

III

     Of course, she knew about Covid-19 and the shutdown. Last February, her school closed, leaving the students to take their classes over the internet. Daddy set up a learning station for her in his den so she could continue her studies. It had been exciting at first, but it became a bore later.

Matty face-timed with her friends and teachers. However, it was not the same as being with them on campus. Without a two-week holiday at the beach, summer long stretched into long monotony. Finally, near the end of July, her parents invited her best friends, Sophie and Cassady, for an afternoon of playtime. Later, she played at their houses. Wearing masks and keeping at a safe social distance was the only downside.

Then, in September, the school opened up again, breaking the tedium. Mattie initially went three days a week, with two days of home-schooling. After a while, they returned to a five-day-a-week routine. If they opened the school, the eight-year-old girl wondered, why couldn't they open the nursing home too? It broke her heart to stay away from Granny Ivy.

"Hello, Matty," her father's voice came from the doorway of her room.

"Hello, daddy," she answered, bowing her head over her books.

"Would you like to come downstairs," he asked in his polite daddy voice. "We'll talk about Granny Ivy?"

"Sure," Matty answered, despondently.

Following her father downstairs, she resumed her seat at the kitchen island. Stephen Sullivan sat on the stool beside her. Celia stood on the other side. No one wanted to begin the conversation, but they knew someone had to start.

"You understand, Matty, everyone is going through a difficult time right now, her father ventured, roughly clearing his throat. "Nothing is as it used to be."

"I know about COVID, daddy," Matty limply responded.

On the nightly news, it was almost the only topic of conversation. Even the children at her school were tired of hearing about it. Even with some restrictions lifted, it became difficult to live day by day under the current circumstances.

"But why can't we see Granny Ivy on Thanksgiving?" Matty whined. "We always do."