Rabbit, Rabbit

Short Story | 10 minute read

Content warning: COVID-19

I am coming to you this week on the other side of a positive test. Yes, I, like all of the family I spent time with over the holidays, got COVID-19. I feel incredibly blessed that I was vaccinated because, even 14 days after first being symptomatic I am still not 100% so I would not want this beast running around my insides untethered.

This week’s story is one I wrote when vaccinations were still not available. It was written after I suffered my own loss of family and a former colleague. This is, so far, the only COVID related story I have written. It was initially inspired in a Writing Prompt Party through my online community Stop Writing Alone when Brian Mooney creator of all things Storymatic (awesome writer tools) played his newest game with us called Synapsis.

This is a 10 minute read.

created by Nicole Rivera using CanvaPro

To: ejacobs@henson.schools.nyc.gov

From: l0v3yleslie@cutemail.com

SUBJECT: Why I gotta do this? April 17, 2020 12:38PM

Dear Mr. Jacobs,
I know you love teaching and everything, but you ain’t the only one sending out these assignments. I’m trying to get all this done, but you’re asking me about places I ain’t never been and don’t want to go to. Moms says New York is the greatest city anyways, and she must be right because of all them tourists. So why I gotta even worry about all these other places if they just trying to be us? This homework you sending is whack, and I think you gotta be teaching other stuff. I know you gonna say this is inappropriate or something, but I’m just keeping it real and you know this’s the kind of thing I’d say to you in class anyways. I know you miss me, Mister.

By the way, you can’t be dressing the way you do for them Zooms. It be too casual for a teacher. Ain’t no one gonna let you live that down. You know August gotta be putting you on TikTok or something. Just watchin your back, Mister.

Stay Safe,

Leslie

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SUBJECT: I’m right here!!!!!!! April 20, 2020 11:29AM

Mr. Jacobs!
You can’t be marking me absent just cause I ain’t doing those whack assignments. You know I’m showing up because of these emails. Why are we researching history that don’t matter when everyone’s saying we’re living in history now? I know if we was actually in school you’d be talking about now, not then.

Leslie

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SUBJECT: You okay? April 21, 2020 3:57PM

I wanna first say I’m sorry if I was being disrespectful or something in my last email. I was telling my moms about how I was worried I didn’t hear back from you, and she went ahead and exploded when I told her what I wrote you. I told her you weren’t offended by stuff like that, but she went on about how things is different when you’re reading them instead of hearing them. I guess she could be right. If she is and if you’re mad about what I wrote, I’m sorry. It’s just that all of this is weird, and you know how I like to talk and everything. Quarantine is keeping me from my normal self. I guess I’m still talking to people, but it just isn’t the same. And also, you need to be talking to your Math friends, they’re killing us with their homework. I guess what I’m sayin is I’m kind of stressed.

Thing is, if I had to choose, you’d be the teacher I’d wanna work for, but there’s just so much I can keep up with and I figured, if anyone’d understand, it might be you.

I’ll start tomorrow, unless you write me back saying that maybe you get it and that maybe we should just be focusing on the history happening now, which would be really helpful to me too because I don’t understand it that well and I’m guessing you do.

Write back!

Leslie

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SUBJECT: Hello? April 22, 2020 9:18AM

I’m trying to get into your class but it’s saying you didn’t start the call yet. Am I doing something wrong?

Leslie

-- -- -- 

SUBJECT: I tried April 22, 2020 9:53AM

Mr. Jacobs I’ve been refreshing the whole time and I never got this week’s Zoom to work. I don’t think anyone else did either. I asked Hennie and Brenda and they couldn’t get in. Did you cancel class?

Leslie

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SUBJECT: What. Is. Going. On? April 23, 2020 9:03AM

MR. JACOBS!

Why am I getting a History assignment from Ms. Fretzl? Who’s Ms. Fretzl? Her name looks totally made up — is it like pretzel? Really though, is she a substitute? I didn’t think we could have computer subs. I mean it’s not like you couldn’t “come in” — you’re already home! Lol!

You could’ve just emailed us about you feeling gross and we wouldn’t have told anyone! You didn’t have to go getting the school involved. This lady is sending stuff that’s totally not what you were doing and she has worksheets!! I keep on telling these teachers I don’t have no printer. I can’t be doing them worksheets like that. This lady’s only been in my inbox one day and she’s already stressing me.

Part of me’s thinking that this is some kind of prank you’re pulling because I sent you that other email asking if I really have to do this stuff. Is this a prank? If so, nice one. You’re funny, Mister. You got me.

Hold up. Mr. Jacobs. I haven’t heard from you since last Thursday! Are you OK?

Please write back. You can just type OK.

Leslie

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SUBJECT: You’re not OK... April 24, 2020 11:42PM

Hi Mr. Jacobs,

I don’t know if you are getting email in the hospital, but I just wanted to say hello and let you know that I am praying for you. My mom even lit a candle for you and has been saying her special prayers for you.

Honestly, I’m super scared right now. I’m sorry you got this sickness and I wish there was something I could do or say to make you better. I’m really hoping you didn’t read my other emails before you went to the hospital. I was being stupid talking about you being too casual and there you were showing up for us even when you felt so sick. I’m so sorry.

Mr. Jacobs, you gotta get better. I never had a teacher like you before and I was already missing coming to your classroom even when it wasn’t my class just to say something funny to you and for you to say something funny back. No other teacher’s been like that with me. They’re all like, “Leslie, go to class!” or “Be serious!” and I am! I am going to class and I am being serious! I know you know that, but they don’t and it’s just nice to be seen by someone and not have to explain myself all the time.
I don’t know why I’m writing all this. I guess I’m worried about you and this makes me feel like I’m helping you in some way which I know is stupid, but I don’t know what else to do.

Feel better, Mr. Jacobs.

Leslie

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SUBJECT: I don’t know who else to ask April 30, 2020 2:46AM

Hey Mr. Jacobs,

No one’s telling us anything. Every teacher’s talking about privacy laws and whatever and that they can’t even know what’s going on with you, so how could we? But how could we not? Word is Ms. Fretzl’s in all kinds of trouble for letting us know you was in the hospital in the first place. Whatever. She did the right thing. What was she supposed to say, you went missing?! Ends up she’s kinda alright. Don’t get me wrong, she ain’t you, Mister, but I think you’d like her.

My mom says there’s no way we can visit you, and I guess I get that. I wouldn’t even know what hospital to go to in the first place! I keep asking all my teachers how you are and I even emailed Mr. Hunter. He was prolly like “Who dis?” because I ain’t never had a personal conversation with him, but I figure the principal of the school gotta know something, right? Well, if he DOES, he ain’t talking.

MISTER! What’s that about? All I want to know is if you OK! Or how I can help. Or if I can send you something. Or ANYTHING! It’s so hard for me to sleep thinking about what you might be going through thinking none of us even care. I know it be like that sometimes when we be acting cray cray in class or whatever just for laughs, and then you be thinking we don’t like you or your class or nothing, but that ain’t it. We care! I care! It’s just us being kids, you know?

I think you do know. I hope you do anyways….The real deal is I just hope they’re taking care of you and that you don’t feel alone. All I keep thinking about is how you be suffering and struggling to breathe and all I’m doing is sitting home complaining about homework.

Which reminds me. I started doing your assignments, Mister. I’m not sending them in until you say so, though, cause I don’t want you to have so much extra work when you don’t need it, but you just let me know. But… really… all I want to know is that you’re OK, so just keep on breathing, Mister. Mom says  that’s one of the things all the people with this virus are struggling with, so just keep breathing. I’m still praying for you.

Leslie

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SUBJECT: Rabbit rabbit May 1, 2020 12:05AM

Rabbit rabbit, Mr. Jacobs. Remember you told us that some people believe that saying “rabbit rabbit” first thing on the first of the month is good luck? I laughed for the whole class! I always remember that now. I don’t remember who it was that believes it anymore, but I do remember you said it and now I’m saying it for you. 

Let’s see if it really works...

Leslie

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SUBJECT: Final Project June 12, 2020 10:32PM

Hey Mr. Jacobs,

So... Ms. Fretzl is kind of cool. She picked up where you left off and even started to talk about the stuff going on now. For our final project she asked us to write an essay about how learning about History has or hasn’t helped us during the COVID crisis. Obviously, the whole assignment made me think of you, which is why I felt the need to email it here. Wherever you are, I hope you like it. And I hope you appreciate that I finally decided to do my online history assignment.

Thank you for everything, Mister.

Leslie

ATTACHMENT: final-project-Merci-Leslie.docx

The History Lesson That Did and Didn’t Help During the COVID Crisis

By Leslie Merci

My history teacher Mr. Jacobs always said that it was good to learn history because it was just "a way to see how other people handled the lifestuff we might get." That always made sense to me until it felt like my lifestuff was very different than anything anyone dealt with in my history lessons. This crisis that has affected the world in historic ways hit really close to home when I found out that Mr. Jacobs got COVID. I was really messed up when I first learnt about it and I didn’t know what to do. I was sure there weren’t any History lessons that could’ve helped me.
Then I woke up in the middle of the night with another nightmare just after midnight on May 1st. That was when I remembered a History lesson that could come to my rescue: Rabbit Rabbit.
I’m sure this isn’t the kind of History lesson you’re looking for, Ms. Fretzl, but it was something that I learned in History class and it’s the only thing that gave me any kind of help throughout this whole thing.
Here’s the lesson: While no one knows the actual origin of the “rabbit rabbit” superstition, it can be traced back to England. That’s where they started believing that saying “rabbit rabbit” before you say any other words on the first day of the month will bring you luck for the rest of the month! Rabbits are always being talked about as lucky, so this makes some kind of sense. Other lucky rabbit things are carrying a rabbit’s foot or World War II pilots saying “white rabbits” for luck. This is a lesson I always remembered from Mr. Jacobs’ class because I thought it was so funny. Mr. Jacobs and I joked about it all the time! But on May 1st, when I woke up and remembered to say it, I was excited. It felt better than any of the prayers I said with my mom, or any other way I was trying to help Mr. Jacobs. Honestly, when I remembered to say “rabbit rabbit” at the exact right time, it felt like magic.
Saying “rabbit rabbit” on the first of the month is a superstition, many cultures have them, and I always thought they was silly. The definition of superstition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary says, “a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation” or “an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition” or“a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary.” All three of those make it pretty clear that superstitions just don’t work, but cultures everywhere keep having them.
I think I now know why: they help you believe in something.
Before saying “rabbit rabbit” I was freaking out. I was emailing Mr. Jacobs nonstop even though I knew he couldn’t write me back. I felt helpless and scared. Saying “rabbit rabbit” changed everything. It gave me something to hang on to and hope for. It didn’t work, of course. On May 31, 2020 we got the news that Mr. Jacobs died. I cried for a long time. I’m even about to cry now again just thinking about it. I will always miss Mr. Jacobs and I am so sorry my “rabbit rabbit” didn’t work for him. He deserved a longer life. But I’m happy he taught me about “rabbit rabbit” because it gave me something to believe in. It was a lesson that showed me, just like he always said, how other people handled the lifestuff I got. No one else in history lost Mr. Jacobs the way I did, but they needed to believe they could be lucky and “rabbit rabbit” gave them that, and, for thirty days it gave that to me too.

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