Learning Point – Jenny 8

[For back story see lower numbers in archive]

Jenny was banging her head against a brick wall. Not literally of course, although she thought it might actually feel less painful that the figurative way she was doing it at the moment.

“This is school work,” she said for the hundredth time, using the twentieth alternative phrasing of the eighth alternative argument she could concoct. “It’s not coming directly from me it is coming from your school.”

“So why don’t we just forget about it for today?” Said Helen. “I won’t tell them if you won’t, we could say I’m ill, and if you don’t think I should do it either…”

“That’s not what I said. I’m saying is it is for your own good and it is from your teachers. They want you to do this and I am here to help you. To do this.”

“Peter’s not doing anything,” pointed out Helen.

“He’s doing his later.”

“I’ll do mine later then. When he’s doing his.”

“No, you said that yesterday and the day before then you didn’t do anything yesterday. Or the day before. It’s becoming a pattern and I’m worried you might be falling behind. You are falling behind, no question about it.”

“I’ll make it up.”

“Good, let’s get going then.”

“I mean I’ll make it up when school’s back. And they’re going back soon, aren’t they? Not like I’ll be here forever. I’ll be out of your hair in no time and then you’ll be able to be happy again.”

– THUD from upstairs, muffled cry of “I’m OK!” From Izzy. Sigh from Jenny.

“My happiness isn’t… In any case the schools aren’t going back yet it’s not clear and even if they are I don’t know if…”

“Izzy’s OK isn’t she?”

“Of course she’s OK,” said Jenny, sideswiped. “She’s just dropping things.” 

“I meant she’s not got it and it’s been enough time, right?”

“I - I don’t know.”

“No cough, no temperature, no nothing.”

“She said her taste was funny and that might be…”

“Your cooking, mum. Face it, your cooking is not as good as hers is it?”

“Look I –"

"Apart from your banana loaf maybe... that's similar."

 I don’t think she’s got anything. I think we’re all safe,” said Jenny, eyes patiently closed, trying to get back on track.

“So why is she still up there?”

Helen had now got up and was hovering between the cupboard and the kitchen door. 

“We’re talking about your school work…”

“Oh, I thought we’d cleared that up.”

“Where are you going?”

“Getting a drink, just getting a drink, I can get a drink, can’t I?”

Helen was right about Izzy. There was no reason for her to still be cut off from everyone else, but Jenny knew Izzy was enjoying herself too much now to stop. She had plans. Lots of plans. And none of them included coming downstairs and joining in with what everyone else was doing. 

Added to this their employer had started making reasonably strong enquiries as to whether either Jenny or Izzy would be coming into the office any time soon and if so how they would like to stagger their working hours and where they thought they’d like to work so social distancing could be sorted.

“But I can do all the backend payroll work from my laptop here,” Jenny had said.

“We’re a little concerned about security,” said Bryony from IT on extra securely encrypted call – that took ages to establish, drained Jenny’s laptop battery and also caused agro for Peter and his online xbox connection. “We have nothing against you or your systems, but it’s a company-wide policy. We can’t afford to let sensitive information flow out of the company for longer than is strictly necessary.”

“How many people are back in the office at the moment?” asked Jenny.

“A fair few,” said Bryony after a pause and with a slight but noticeable echo.

Jenny later received a call from HR who started by emphasising the positive and negative mental health sides of returning to the workplace and ended by emphasising the financial cost to the business of not returning to the workplace. “I know it’s all a bit strange,” said HR, “But let’s give it a go shall we?”

“Have you?” Asked Jenny.

“I’m going to. Very soon,” came the reply with barely a pause.

After a bit more wrangling Helen actually did sit down and do some school work, although she only put pen to paper if Jenny stayed in the room and watched her do it. Rather than simply being an invigilator, Jenny spent the time musing on future history exam questions: Was the second spike in coronavirus caused by (a) the desire for economic recovery (b) an argument over access to education or (c) demand for Premier League football?

There was no denying it. Jenny was feeling increasingly at sea. Had they all just become too used to being locked down, to knowing where everything was, or wasn’t? The routine of delivering food to Izzy, regarding the things she’d found, shepherding the kids into some kind of educational setting, enabling their own web chats to take place with their mates and cleaning everything to a level unheard of before in this household, was it all just too – cushy? 

It had been worrying, terrifying at times, and now the routine was being upset again and without much – any – firm ground to cling to, Jenny wasn’t sure where any of it was heading. After everything they’d been through would it be enough to just end up back where they were?