𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐌

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙑: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝘿𝙖𝙮 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖

Nights were getting harder for a tourist like me who came to the USA to build a better life. My bedroom insinuated creepy as the days passed. I was alone and spent most of my time fiddling phones. 

In the beginning, I fed myself with enough statistics and information on coronavirus. Soon, some parts of New York City were commanded by coronavirus. Many people were losing the battle with to virus. 

To guard myself, I bought a sanitizer, surgical masks and few pairs of hand gloves. There were messages of warning from relatives, friends, families and husband.  

Like any other days, at nine past thirty in the morning, I prepared myself to go to work. I wore a pair of grey gloves and a mask. I was heading to the subway where I ride a train.

There was group of people who were waiting for the train as well. I maintained a huge distance as advised my health experts and scientist.

Surprising, that group of people approached me. Most of them were African Americans. They were trying to close the gap between them and me violating the rules of Social distancing. I was becoming furious but I held my nerves.

“Can you maintain the social distance between us?”, I exclaimed.

There was no answer from them. Only unheard giggles and laughter.

Soon a Chinese guy asked something in Chinese language. I could not get it.

“Sorry, I am not from your country. I am from Bhutan”. I frowned at him.

 He apologized and went. Apologies were like shattered glass. I could hardly understand his English.

Soon, the train arrived and I got in.

Inside the train, I met another frustrating group of people. They were staring at me as if I was the virus. 

That day, it was the strangest day of my life in America. Americans were indirectly abusing us, mostly Asians. It all started from the Coronavirus. No matter which country you come from, if you look like Chinese, they will assume you as the source of coronavirus.

 I felt like explaining about how 76-year-old tourist was treated in Bhutan although he was the first-person to bring coronavirus to my country.

I learnt an important lesson. No one will treat you like you are treated in Bhutan. 

It was the first time I felt strange in a big city of New York but it wasn’t the worst day.

There is another day, another frustrating day I want to tell.

   

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫? 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰