Coronavirus: Little Boys, Big Toys

by Fiza Pathan

In the peninsula country of Raktsthaan, protruding from the India and Pakistan border in Asia, the draconic government decided that they, come what may, would build the tallest statue in the land. A monument for the god Taahya. Construction of the statue began, and the people of Raktsthaan, a poorer nation than its surrounding neighbors, by order of the dictator President and his commanders, were made to surrender all of their gold to the building of this monument. As the days passed, even more gold was forced from famine-stricken hands and malnourished stomachs. Intellectuals who opposed the project were killed. Concentration camps were built upon the models of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belson, and Dachau, and minorities taken there to die. When all seemed as hopeless as it could get, the true Lord Taahya, came to his own. Like Nimrod of old, after the days of the Ark, when he challenged the heavens, thunder struck in the form of a fatal mistake in the labs. Lord Taahya struck the evilness in Raktsthaan by unleashing upon the world – coronavirus.

31 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2020

About the author

IMP: If you are an indie-author & wish to contact me for written or live interviews on my blogs & websites then contact me here - pathan.fiza@gmail.com
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Fiza Pathan is a Roman Catholic born on the 19th of March 1989 and is from Mumbai, India.

Fiza has written and published seventeen award-winning books and short stories, which reflect her interest in furthering the cause of education and in championing social issues. In over seventy literary competitions, she has placed either as winner or finalist, chief among them being: 2020 DBW Awards; 2020 Writer's Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards; 2018 DBW Awards; Killer Nashville 2018 Silver Falchion Award; 2018 IAN Book of the Year Awards; 2018 Book Viral Millennium Book Awards; Readers’ Favorite Book Awards; Reader Views Literary Awards; Eric Hoffer Book Award; Foreword Reviews Indie Fab Book Awards; Mom’s Choice Awards; Literary Classics Book Awards; and Dan Poynter’s Global E-Book Awards. She established her own niche publishing company called Fiza Pathan Publishing OPC Private Limited where she publishes Rare Classics for younger readers.

She has been contributing articles, book reviews, parabolic stories, and theological essays to various Catholic Magazines for the past 16 years. She has been associated with ‘The Examiner’ which is a reputed Catholic newsweekly of India for the past 16 years. In recognition of her various literary achievements as a young Catholic writer, she has recently received the first ever Bronze Pen Award from The Examiner at its 175th anniversary celebrations in the year 2024.

She also contributes theological articles and book reviews respectively to the ICM (Indian Catholic Matters) online magazine as well as ‘The Teenager Today’ which is run by the Catholic congregation of St. Pauls. She also contributed articles to ‘The Vision & Venture’ and ‘Word Power’ as a youth, both of which are Catholic monthlies.

Fiza Pathan is currently pursuing her Masters in Theological Studies from Pontifex University Atlanta, Georgia asynchronously. She also pursues additional theological courses at the Institute of Catholic Culture in Virginia through its online platform to improve her knowledge of authentic Catholic theology, philosophy, and literature. She is currently in the process of becoming a Consecrated Virgin for Christ.

She is also pursuing her Post Graduate Certificate In International Teacher Education (PGCITE) at Podar International School, Santacruz. She is being trained to teach grades 1 to 12 in the IGCSE & IB curricula. Her specializations will be in English Language, English Literature, Global Perspectives (GP), History, TOK & CAS.

She taught English Literature and History for a year at an ICSE school called Lilavati Bai Podar High School, Mumbai (2011-2012).

Fiza Pathan has a bachelor’s degree in arts from the University of Mumbai, where she majored in History and Sociology with a first class. She also has a bachelor’s degree in education, again with a first class, her special subjects being English and History.

She lives with her maternal family & her cat Lopez, and writes essays, book reviews, sketches, novels, and short stories in most genres. You may follow her on Twitter @FizaPathan and visit her blog insaneowl.com or her website fizapathansteachingportfolioforpgcite.com

Reviews

[Ela Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was truly one of a kind. Taking the COVID situation as a spark to deliver a lesson to the world as a whole—what a brilliant approach. During COVID, I personally saw neighbors who once fought over fences patch up their differences and become old buddies again. I also heard stories where people from lower castes helped those from upper castes by leaving water and essential supplies at their doors during quarantine periods. On the other hand, there were also instances where the rich monopolized and hoarded supplies, leaving little or nothing for the public.

So yes, COVID united many of us. It made us appreciate each other and be thankful for the little things. At the same time, it also showed us the cruel reflection of those in power who would not spare a single glance for the rest of society.
The isolation and the reality of quarantine camps were depicted vividly. The portrayal of different religions and their perspectives was interesting. I appreciate the way Ms. Pathan has written the story in a fictional context that reflects real-life experiences. It is short, yet it leaves the reader with important questions to reflect upon—especially about our actions during times of emergency.

[Emmanuel Bhaskar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in a country where the majority rulers aim to rid the nation of people from other unwanted faiths, the story narrates how the natural course of COVID was allowed to take its toll on the marginalized religious communities. The authors description accurately reflects the real world impact of the Delta strain of coronavirus, especially when life-saving measures like oxygen support and medication were not provided. The author masterfully recreates the scenes that took place in these less privileged societies, highlighting the harsh reality without diluting the gravity of the situation.

While a non-medical person might question whether such events could have happened anywhere in the world, they did. These situations occurred in various parts of the world due to factors such as a lack of resources like pulse oximeters to detect low oxygen levels, the unavailability of healthcare personnel, and, as the story narrates, the inhumane actions of dictatorial governments that followed a "left to die" policy for its elderly. The book also highlights how a disease can be used to target a minority group, an idea that should have no place in a civilized society. A hard-to-digest, must-READ

[Mangalam Shiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story by Fiza Pathan "Coronavirus:little boys", Big toys, is very informative. The moral of the story is, Unity among the people of a country can fight any disease, atrocities against the citizens. Fiza has described in a strong manner about a powerful ruler in an imaginary country in the Indian subcontinent, takes various drastic actions against the people of other religions. Finally, when Coronavirus affects the citizens of this country, after severe loss of lives, the surviving people realise that only Unity among them can save them from the severity of the disease. The characters of different religious heads are very well-defined. They express their anguish against the sufferings and loss of lives of the citizens.
The author FIZA has strongly expressed her feelings against corruption, greed, and helplessness of the common citizens of this imaginary country. This is a lesson for all the citizens in the world. The story is worth reading.Shivkumar
(Mangalam Shiva)