Guys, you wouldn’t believe it!

Written by Keshet (the daughter) and Gonen (the father).

Paintings by Dagan (the son) and Keshet.

Hand typed by Yahav (the son).

Modelling dog: Shoko (the dog).

All are members of the Sagy family.

I love the wind flushing through my ears, it takes seven hours driving to the cabin every winter, deep in northern woods. We usually make our last stop for groceries at Quebec city, then head into the mountains for the last part of the trip. When we cross the yellow bridge everyone wakes up, the kids get all excited, which makes me excited, which makes mum happy. From this point, the cabin is only 15 minutes away.

The cabin… you know I love my cabin. So warm, and fuzzy. I could sit the whole day by the fire. Father writes a million words, or so I think. Mum does her computer programming, making up applications in her funny words that only computers understand. And my “siblings”? The kids are doing their homeschooling faster than usual when it’s a sunny day outside because once they’re done, it’s all walking down the snowy trails, playing in the forest, picnicking on the frozen lake. And sometimes looking at the sunset from the hill they named: “Mount Dachshmor”.

It is another winter next to Mount Dachshmor for us, and for me, a mixed rescued Dachshund dog it’s the best time EVER!

If you’ll get near our cabin, I’ll smell ya, and I’ll bark at ya, as you’ve never heard before. Wraf Wraf Wraf!

“Chop chop daddy, we need to roll if we wanna be back before dark”, Shula told dad who was still spilling words on pages, although we ran out of butter, flour, and vegetables last week. “Can we take Coco with us?”, Shula asked, my tail started wagging just from hearing my name. “She can’t go into the store with us, I think she better stay”.

Soon they left, on a heavy snowy afternoon. Mum and the boys stayed, and I listened carefully, to hear the car when they return. Getting up every few moments, to see if they are back, but they weren’t. I don’t like it when we aren’t all together.

The cabin door opened suddenly, I woke up to a gush of cold wind that ruined my sleeping paradise, snow flew into the big room from the dark night, as dad and Shula stepped in. Cold and anxious, Shula shouted: ” Guys, you wouldn’t believe it! there is a big pandemic going on out there”.

What?!

The more Shula and dad explained, the more everyone became worried. Mom asked about numbers and statistics. Dad gave her a newspaper he picked up for her and said: “ I also managed to download some news and emails we received onto the tablet, perhaps we should have not come here this year, perhaps we better go back home right now”.

As everyone talked nervously, I felt their fear but I couldn’t do anything. I was curling into a small ball by the fire, as I used to before I had a home, when the world was so scary.

Happy we are all here together again, yet feeling their nervousness, eventually, I slept.

I dreamt that I became so tiny in a far far land; I was smaller than anything I could sniff. I met a tiny creature, such a little thing, it danced in rage, ranting:” Now they’re gonna learn a lesson, they didn’t fear before, but in 2020 everyone will fear me! For I am the mighty Coronavirus! I will destroy humanity until they bow at my feet, but I will show no mercy! Mwah Ha Ha Ha Ha!”.

Perhaps I wailed in fear quietly, perhaps I moved my legs in my sleep as I tried to run away and back home, to be with my family again. How can I protect them from that?! I woke up on the floor when someone in the children’s room cried in their sleep. I got up and to see the sleeping children in their warm room, Shula was just up to drink some water.

I am always ready to eat, why is it that no one eats at night?

Then I drank and took my place on mum’s legs in the big warm bed.

The next morning was sunny. I had a long walk with the children and I smelled the fried eggs from a mile away as we ran back to the cabin.

Under the table is my preferred spot while they eat, “I wonder how your parents will do back in Israel”, mum said.

“I think my sisters and brother will be able to help them. Did you have a chance to read the emails I downloaded? Did you see the one that your father sent?”

“Yes. Before I fell asleep last night. It seems he is already and prepared in his farm in Beit Hillel”.

“Can I have some more salad? Mum what about everyone in the big cities? What are people going to do in Tel Aviv or Gaza?”, Shula asked, and daddy said, “ I think this is a biological, ecological crisis, that closes the loop of the sustainability crisis. We already witnessed the economic and social crises. But every crisis is also an opportunity to collaborate, to work together in trust. Only time will tell how this is going to end…”.

No one talked, and only I noticed a hand reaching under the table, dropping a piece of buttered toast for me on the floor.

After I ate the leftovers I sunbathed on the floor, the children learned. Mum and dad set by the table again, “ perhaps we should go home, but if we need to isolate, we better stay here a few more weeks this year”.

I wanted to listen, to know we’ll be ok, but my eyelids were heavy after we ran, ate, and now laying in the sun… I smiled and fell asleep.