Joint 1st - The Other Side of the Wall - Kaila Patterson
Erin’s House, April 2020
The sounds of laughter echoed from the walls, making Erin giggle even more.
She had been sat there for hours, listening to the wild and wacky tales of mischief. Her grandad, Sean, always told the best stories about his childhood, and even if they were not real (usually they weren’t), he still told them so believably you couldn’t help but adapt to it.
“You mean they never caught you?” Erin asked, leaning in eagerly. Grandpa Sean gave an animated look as to pretend he was deep in thought, before leisurely shaking his head.
He had stayed with them throughout self-isolation, and Erin had not minded that one bit. Everyone spoke of how they had hated quarantine, and how they could not wait for this to be over, but Erin disagreed, and decided to make the best of what would inevitably be the worst.
“That’s really cool you know; I wish I could have lived in the place that you did.” Erin grinned, thinking of all those tales of the ‘olden days’, but Grandpa Sean shook his head disapprovingly, letting out a long, woeful sigh.
“Oh no,” He replied, his tone gone from playful to eerily serious, making Erin sit up straight against the wall and listen. He gave her a stern look, and went deep into thought, “Believe me, you’re more than lucky to have the life that you do, because unfortunately, not everyone does.”
Aidan’s House, April 2020
Aidan leant back against the hard, stone wall. For the first time, everything had gone quiet in the house, and that gave him time to think, for the better or the worse.
He sat alone in his room, but the eerie tension from seconds before still haunted him. It was not his fault, but the longer they stayed in lockdown, the longer he was stuck in his small house, the more he longed for a way out.
Everything had went horribly, his family had lost their jobs, they had little to nothing left, the fighting he had to listen to and endure had never seemed to cease, and just then, to make matters worse, the shocking and terrible news came that his grandfather, who had been ill with the virus for weeks, had died.
He sat in silence as a tear streamed down his face, and he pulled his knees up to his face woefully. Without looking, he reached over to his bedside table and grabbed the phone that sat on it, scrolling through until he found the contact, ‘Erin’.
One Call.
Two Calls.
Three Calls.
Just as he was about to call for the fourth time, he realised it was pointless, he was not going to get an answer. Erin, his best friend, lived next door, so it felt strange to have to call her instead. He knew she lived with her grandfather at the moment, and things must be just as hard for her, but even a call, a text, just to hear a friends voice again would have been nice, but there was nothing, even if she was only on the other side of the wall.
Erin’s House, June 2020
They sat in the living room, watching the reporter with his top-notch suit and tie and blunt announcements like it was the best thing since sliced bread.
Prior to lockdown, the news had never interested Erin, but when the world did go into a lockdown, it became the most enticing part of the day.
“Do you think the cinemas will reopen? What about the airports?” Erin
pointed-out, waving her hands around excitedly at the thought. The past few months had been frightening on the outside, but inside her house it had been great. Every board game on the shelf had been used, not to mention every film, ranging from sci-fi superheroes to overdone rom-coms.
Then, the doorbell rang. Erin jumped out of her seat and ran to the door, nearly toppling over the nearest piece of furniture. When she opened the door, she laughed at the sight, watching Aidan, her best friend, stand there drenched in rain, even if he did only live next door.
Erin and Aidan’s Street, June 2020
“Hey.” Aidan scoffed.
“Hi” Erin replied.
“How was your lockdown?” Erin asked.
Aidan glanced towards the floor, the dreaded memories of everything that had happened throughout lockdown flooding back. Shaking the bad thoughts away, he pulled on a fake smile, nodding, “Fine.”
“Just…Fine?” Erin queried.
“Yeah, just…fine.”
The sounds of laughter echoed from the walls, making Erin giggle even more.
She had been sat there for hours, listening to the wild and wacky tales of mischief. Her grandad, Sean, always told the best stories about his childhood, and even if they were not real (usually they weren’t), he still told them so believably you couldn’t help but adapt to it.
“You mean they never caught you?” Erin asked, leaning in eagerly. Grandpa Sean gave an animated look as to pretend he was deep in thought, before leisurely shaking his head.
He had stayed with them throughout self-isolation, and Erin had not minded that one bit. Everyone spoke of how they had hated quarantine, and how they could not wait for this to be over, but Erin disagreed, and decided to make the best of what would inevitably be the worst.
“That’s really cool you know; I wish I could have lived in the place that you did.” Erin grinned, thinking of all those tales of the ‘olden days’, but Grandpa Sean shook his head disapprovingly, letting out a long, woeful sigh.
“Oh no,” He replied, his tone gone from playful to eerily serious, making Erin sit up straight against the wall and listen. He gave her a stern look, and went deep into thought, “Believe me, you’re more than lucky to have the life that you do, because unfortunately, not everyone does.”
Aidan’s House, April 2020
Aidan leant back against the hard, stone wall. For the first time, everything had gone quiet in the house, and that gave him time to think, for the better or the worse.
He sat alone in his room, but the eerie tension from seconds before still haunted him. It was not his fault, but the longer they stayed in lockdown, the longer he was stuck in his small house, the more he longed for a way out.
Everything had went horribly, his family had lost their jobs, they had little to nothing left, the fighting he had to listen to and endure had never seemed to cease, and just then, to make matters worse, the shocking and terrible news came that his grandfather, who had been ill with the virus for weeks, had died.
He sat in silence as a tear streamed down his face, and he pulled his knees up to his face woefully. Without looking, he reached over to his bedside table and grabbed the phone that sat on it, scrolling through until he found the contact, ‘Erin’.
One Call.
Two Calls.
Three Calls.
Just as he was about to call for the fourth time, he realised it was pointless, he was not going to get an answer. Erin, his best friend, lived next door, so it felt strange to have to call her instead. He knew she lived with her grandfather at the moment, and things must be just as hard for her, but even a call, a text, just to hear a friends voice again would have been nice, but there was nothing, even if she was only on the other side of the wall.
Erin’s House, June 2020
They sat in the living room, watching the reporter with his top-notch suit and tie and blunt announcements like it was the best thing since sliced bread.
Prior to lockdown, the news had never interested Erin, but when the world did go into a lockdown, it became the most enticing part of the day.
“Do you think the cinemas will reopen? What about the airports?” Erin
pointed-out, waving her hands around excitedly at the thought. The past few months had been frightening on the outside, but inside her house it had been great. Every board game on the shelf had been used, not to mention every film, ranging from sci-fi superheroes to overdone rom-coms.
Then, the doorbell rang. Erin jumped out of her seat and ran to the door, nearly toppling over the nearest piece of furniture. When she opened the door, she laughed at the sight, watching Aidan, her best friend, stand there drenched in rain, even if he did only live next door.
Erin and Aidan’s Street, June 2020
“Hey.” Aidan scoffed.
“Hi” Erin replied.
“How was your lockdown?” Erin asked.
Aidan glanced towards the floor, the dreaded memories of everything that had happened throughout lockdown flooding back. Shaking the bad thoughts away, he pulled on a fake smile, nodding, “Fine.”
“Just…Fine?” Erin queried.
“Yeah, just…fine.”
Joint 1st - Lockdown Lowdown - Sarah Lynch
Hello there, I’m in lockdown what about you? Ha-ha everyone is. Lockdown has been good for the most part, but I really wish that it wasn’t under these circumstances. I have enjoyed being with my family and relaxing. I have not been short of any work and I have been kept on my toes although if it wasn’t for my mum, I don’t think I would have been able to work as well. I am very proud of myself to be able to complete all my tasks on time and to the best of my ability. But it hasn’t been without its challenges………
When I started in year 8 in September, I did not think I would be finishing at home on a computer. Although it is lovely being home, I do wish to be back with my friends. I have loads of work to complete and it just doesn’t stop. I wake up every morning dreading how many emails there is going to be, but I do understand it is to keep me busy. I miss not being able to see my sister as she lives in her own house, but I know if I want to talk to her, she is just a phone call away. I am so lucky that we have modern technology that we can face time friends and family who we can’t see.
I have really enjoyed baking in lockdown. I have made cakes, cookies and muffins and I also learnt to make eggs. I have also cleaned and organised my room about 100 times but now it is super clean. I have also loved being with my family and being outside in the sun. We also bought a projector and we have been watching films and doing quizzes outside and it is really cool.
Although being at home is great, I do miss family, friends and knowing everything is safe. Lockdown has come with its fears and worries. I’m only 12 and I don’t know the ins and outs of it all but I do understand that life is going to be changed forever now and we don’t know how school, work or university will be, but we all have to carry on supporting each other and following all the rules to keep ourselves and others safe.
Now if wasn’t for our amazing frontline workers we would all find it very hard to cope, we are very lucky to have nurses, doctors, shop workers, lorry drivers who are all keeping us safe and looked after and then all those amazing people supporting our key workers. Although this is a very sad time for many families, there are also the positive stories to come out of this. My uncle became very ill with covid-19, but thanks to amazing NHS workers in the Royal Alexandra hospital in Paisley he is now recovering well at home and we are all very relieved. This will only make us closer and we should always remember to not take even the simplest of things for granted.
STAY SAFE AND STAY WELL!
When I started in year 8 in September, I did not think I would be finishing at home on a computer. Although it is lovely being home, I do wish to be back with my friends. I have loads of work to complete and it just doesn’t stop. I wake up every morning dreading how many emails there is going to be, but I do understand it is to keep me busy. I miss not being able to see my sister as she lives in her own house, but I know if I want to talk to her, she is just a phone call away. I am so lucky that we have modern technology that we can face time friends and family who we can’t see.
I have really enjoyed baking in lockdown. I have made cakes, cookies and muffins and I also learnt to make eggs. I have also cleaned and organised my room about 100 times but now it is super clean. I have also loved being with my family and being outside in the sun. We also bought a projector and we have been watching films and doing quizzes outside and it is really cool.
Although being at home is great, I do miss family, friends and knowing everything is safe. Lockdown has come with its fears and worries. I’m only 12 and I don’t know the ins and outs of it all but I do understand that life is going to be changed forever now and we don’t know how school, work or university will be, but we all have to carry on supporting each other and following all the rules to keep ourselves and others safe.
Now if wasn’t for our amazing frontline workers we would all find it very hard to cope, we are very lucky to have nurses, doctors, shop workers, lorry drivers who are all keeping us safe and looked after and then all those amazing people supporting our key workers. Although this is a very sad time for many families, there are also the positive stories to come out of this. My uncle became very ill with covid-19, but thanks to amazing NHS workers in the Royal Alexandra hospital in Paisley he is now recovering well at home and we are all very relieved. This will only make us closer and we should always remember to not take even the simplest of things for granted.
STAY SAFE AND STAY WELL!
3rd - The NHS. Saoirse Tuttey
Children of Lockdown - Jude Meighan
Wow. Where to start? This virus has taken over the world. It hasn't been easy for anyone. Not being able to see friends and family hasn't been easy for anyone. It's been very boring being stuck inside for 6 months. I remember hearing the news about going into lockdown and thinking, "This virus really isn't a joke." I see other people across the world wearing face masks and never for one second thought that it would affect, not just me, but my friends, family and community. The NHS has done their best to keep this virus under control. It is always a plus when you have people like the doctors and nurses doing the amazing work they do. As a football fan, seeing empty stadiums on TV has been weird to say the least. Seeing places were people socialise shut has felt weird. Thankfully, Belfast is back to a little bit of normality, with pubs, restaurants and other places opening. Covid-19 still doesn't feel real and I don't know if it ever will, just because of how overwhelming it has been. I mean, who would've thought 12 months ago that we would be stuck inside due to a deadly virus? Well, here we are!
The NHS! Aoife Tuttey
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