This MCO has certainly taken a physical and mental toll on us. While many of us are undeniably struggling, one particular group in society does not have the luxury of airing their grievances on platforms that will listen. This group is unfortunately-the children.
Most children are supposed to be running around outside and getting scrapes on their knees from playing with their friends but with the pandemic, they are all cooped up inside. Unlike us, children have yet to understand the full depth of their emotions and how to control the way they feel.
A reader by the name of Nurul recently submitted a video of her sobbing child and a heartbreaking story.
In the video, we can hear the small child calling for his mother while crying and sobbing uncontrollably.
“Mummy, mummy where did you go?”
Nurul told us that she and her husband are living separately in different states due to work. For this reason and with the current MCO SOPs, the toddler has not seen his mother for more than two months now. Nurul said that day by day, his cries grow louder. The toddler cries himself to sleep and tries not to look at his mother when they are on a video call.
Speaking to WORLD OF BUZZ, Nurul told us that she has been living in Melaka due to her job while her husband is living in Pahang. This arrangement has been going on for about nine years now. Prior to the pandemic, the couple would often meet once every half a week with the longest time span being three weeks, depending on the circumstances at that time.
Even though it is tough as the journey takes a few hours to travel one way, Nurul said that she would do it for her children. She said that many other long-distance couples are mentally affected, but the ones who are most affected are their children who crave and long for affection and physical touch from both their parents. As they are children and of tender age, they may be unable to understand why mummy or daddy is not with them.
“The emotional burden is too much.”
Other than that, the mother also said that she understands why the state borders remain closed. However, Nurul hopes that the government will be able to reconsider the SOPs around long-distance couples and if there needs to be documents of any kind, she will gladly produce them with the sole aim of seeing her children and her spouse.
For illustration purposes only.
This story is certainly very heartbreaking. Bound by circumstances while working hard for the sake of each other, we cannot even begin to understand the magnitude of emotions that the toddler and his family are facing. We wish nothing but the best for Nurul and her family.
Also read: M’sian Activist Forced To Choose Which Families To Feed Due To Overwhelming Requests For Help
