Back to School

Megan Kilby | Apr 01, 2020

Hey, there! I’m a teacher at one of the local schools in this area. Have you heard the big news? We’re back at school after the Corona virus quarantine. Isn’t that great?

On our first day back, I stepped out of my car and entered the school. Everything seemed normal, right? I mean, what could go wrong? The floors were shiny clean, and inspirational quotes were still hung up on the walls.

The first odd event happened when I passed another teacher. I had to blink several times before I could register what I was seeing. Her hair was draped in front of her face in a nasty tangle, on her feet were patched-up muck boots, and her clothes were in tatters. Mud was streaked all over her face and arms. I stared in confusion. It looked as if this perfectly dignified teacher had spent the last few weeks living in a beaver hut and gnawing on cat tails. “Umm, G’morning,” I said quickly. She didn’t answer, but instead pointed ahead and started hollering loudly. I snuck a glance in the direction she’d pointed, only to see another teacher running towards her, also shouting loudly. He looked even worse; sticks were jammed in his rats-nest of hair, and he had a strip of his pant leg tied around his head like a bandanna. They approached each other quickly and began whooping and clapping their hands like a caveman. I shook my head, thinking, so this is what happens after people go in quarantine.

The next bizarre occurrence happened as soon as I entered my classroom that very morning. All the kids had pushed the desks into a circle and used their bags and coats to make some sort of a fort. All the cavemen children were huddled inside, speaking with grunts and wild hand gestures. “Oh, no,” I muttered to myself. “This is going to be an interesting day, alright.”

Then lunch came. Oh, how I had been dreading lunch! But did this dread prepare me at all for what I would witness?

No. Not in the slightest.

The cafeteria was so loud I cringed as I strode in to supervise the students. Their insane yelling filled the room. But the mess, that’s what really got me. Teachers and children alike had busted open the pizza boxes in the area where you can buy food. Money was being thrown around at random, its purpose forgotten. Students’ lunches were scattered over the tables and floor, and people were crawling around on their hands and knees, eating whatever they came across. I sighed heavily.

The next shock came at bus time. First of all, here’s a fun fact for you: out of all the people I’d seen that day, the bus drivers were the only ones who weren’t behaving strangely. Their busses were in perfect condition, and they pulled into the parking lot in a neat line. I can’t even express how terrible I felt for them as I watched the students clamber onto the busses on their hands and knees. They went wild as the busses drove away, hanging off the seats and somersaulting down the aisles. I waved goodbye to one grim-looking bus driver before they drove out of sight.

I could still hear the children’s yelping ringing in my ears as I thought to myself, is this how things will be from now on?

By Megan Kilby