The Covids - 1. Pizza

“It’s not your dad’s fault Kevin, he can’t help what surname was passed down to him.”

“I know Mum, but it’s just not fair.”

“I know love, so while the pizza bakes, why don’t you go and talk to your dad, he’s feeling bad about you ignoring him lately. I think he’s watching the news.”

“Hi Dad, what’s happening, can I sit with you?”

“Sure son let’s watch the news together.”

Kevin sat quietly beside his father as he knew his father liked watching the TV news without disruption. He picked up his phone but noticed his battery was extremely low so he put it on to charge and returned to the couch and watched the news with his father. After a few minutes Kevin broke the imposed silence.

“Hey Dad, this is great.”

“What’s that son?”

“Watching the news on TV, I’ve not done this before.”

“What do you like about it?”

“Well, you don’t have to search for the news items, it’s just all presented there for you. Also it doesn’t seem to buffer or drop out. How do they do that? Great tech!”

Daniel smiled at his son’s remark and replied “It’s called free-to-air television; a tried and true technology that’s been around for a long time.”

“That’s amazing, and the screen’s big enough to see people’s faces. Can we do this together more often Dad?”

“I look forward to it Kev.”

Kevin moved a little closer to his father and said “Me too Dad, I like us doing stuff together.”

“Pizza’s ready Kevin,” was heard from the kitchen “But I need someone with a good eye to slice it, don’t want you and your sister arguing about who got the biggest slice.”

“Coming Mum, I‘ll do it, don’t let Chris anywhere near it.”

Kevin was meticulous about his pizza cutting. With the precision of a surgeon he manoeuvred the rocker blade deftly enough to present his family with pizzas cut into eight identical size pieces. Daniel, on the other hand, was a wheel man and ploughed into the pizza with all the subtly of a dodgem car driver. When he was younger this annoyed Kevin immensely sowhen he was old enough he usurped his father’s position as the family pizza cutter and insisted his mum buy a rocker blade.

Over dinner the family discussed the impending Corona Virus crisis and how it might affect them. Daniel said to his wife “Jenny, I hear they might force restaurants to close because of the social distancing problem.”

“Yes I know, Mario mentioned it last night, he’s going to try to keep operating as long as he can but warned us we might be stood down any day now. What about you?”

“As a health professional we will be considered essential but have been asked to find alternative methods of practice. I’m working on some ideas. Now kids what’s happening with you?”

Christine spoke first, “We’re finding it difficult to practice social distancing at uni so they are moving towards doing lectures online. What about you Kev?”

“The principal mentioned something at assembly but was a bit vague. Personally I can’t wait till they shut the place down and I don’t have to spend my days with those Neanderthals.”