KOCHI: Spending months stuck in our homes almost drove most of us crazy, But, 10-year-old Aarya D’Souza and and his mother Abila Joseph turned this experience into a book full of memories titled ‘The Lockdown Diary’.
Their pandemic chronicles take the readers on an entertaining journey that is personal, but relatable to everyone.Abila’s ‘momzilla’ moments and Arya’s squabbles with his five-year-old sister Yana are especially anecdotes people of all ages can enjoy. “It all began with an assignment that Aarya had to do for the school. Their class was asked to write an article about the acts of mass display such as clapping and candle-lighting for 9 minutes on the balconies,” said Abila.
Aarya’s article was selected from his class and published in a leading newspaper. So, when the lockdown extended, Abila thought of a plan to keep Aarya busy without getting him hooked to gadgets. “I saw what he wrote and realised that he had a knack for writing. So I gave him a diary and asked him to chronicle his life during the lockdown period,” said Abila.
The lockdown was equally tough for the kids. “I was going bonkers with all the cribbing and shenanigans. But I was lucky enough to see my child transform,” she added.The book also chronicles subtle moments when a family comes together. “One day, I was down with a migraine. So, I asked the kids to behave and went to lie down. In the evening, when I felt better and came back to check on them, Aarya was teaching Yana,” she said.The diary also shares Aarya’s experiences doing household chores and living without friends and games. One of his greatest despairs, being unable to celebrate his birthday the usual way, also finds a place.