A LOVE DURING PANDEMIC

Mika sat alone in her apartment, staring out the window at the empty streets below. it had been months since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Philippines, and the government had imposed a strict lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. Mika was used to living alone, but now she felt more isolated than ever before. She missed her friends, her family, and the life she used to have before the pandemic. She missed going out to restaurants, watching movies in the cinema, and going on adventures. Now, her days were spent working from home and trying to stay entertained. Mika picked up her phone and scrolled through her social media feeds, hoping for distraction. But all she saw were updates about the pandemic: rising case numbers, overwhelmed hospitals; and people struggling to make ends meet. She sighed and put her phone down. She knew she needed to take a break from the constant barrage of bad news, but it was hard to escape when it was all anyone could talk about. Suddenly, Mika's phone buzzed with a message. it was from her friend, Karen, who she didn't talked to in weeks. "Hey girl! How are you holding up?" Mika smiled at the message. Karen was always upheat and optimistic, even in the face of adversity. " I'm doing okay, just getting a little stir-crazy. how about you?" "I hear you girl. I miss our hangouts. but guess what? I met someone!" Mika's heart skipped beat.She was happy for her friend, but the idea of dating during a pandemic seemed impossible. "Wow, really? How did you mee?" "Online of course! we've been talking for a few weeks now, and we're planning to meet up soon. I'm so excited!" Mika felt a twinge of jealousy. She had tried online dating before, but it never seemed to work out. Plus, with the pandemic, the thought of meeting a stranger in person seemed risky. "That's awesome, Karen. I hope it goes well for you." "Don't worry girl! I'll give you all the juicy details after our date. hang in there, okay? well get through this. " Mika smiled and put her phone down. she was happy for her friend, but she couldn't shake the feeling loneliness. she longed for someone to share her days with, someone who understood what she was going through. little dis she know, her life was about to changed in ways she never imagined.