A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s comment section.
QUARANTINE
“It itches, Mommy.” My feverish two-year-old pointed to a cluster of blisters on his chest. “Make it stop.”
“Sesame Street Live is out of the question.”
“But I’m not sick.” Six-year-old Simon whined. “It’s all Trevor’s fault.”
“Pretty sure it’s Chicken Pox,” I told Margo, the company secretary. “It’s making the rounds at daycare.”
Fortunately, Trevor had a mild case. An easy week—alas, without pay.
Fourteen days after Trevor’s outbreak, Simon woke with a bumper crop of unwelcome lesions.
Covered from stem to stern, Simon whined. “It’s all Trevor’s fault.”
***
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Dear Rochelle,
Do you remember when they had “chicken pox parties”? How insane when you think today… Then again, kids grew bigger immune systems.
Great remembery!
Shalom and lots of itch-free love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
I don’t really remember parties. I do remember having to keep the annoying kid next door to us company when she had them, since I already had. At least my mother said I did. I was two and really don’t remember them.
Glad you came along for the trip down memory lane. I don’t think there was a part of my oldest son that wasn’t touched. He was really sick. Poor kid. Thank you. 😀
Shalom and lotsa healthy hugs,
Rochelle
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My two got it young, as well. I was worried for the youngest as he was not quite 6 months old and apparently you can get it again.
When I had it, they held the parties. Dunno if I got it from there or gave it there.
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Son of a gun! I had to fish this comment from my trash folder again.
No doubt, you suffered more than your baby. That’s how we moms are. 😉
Shalom again and a few extra hugs,
Rochelle
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This one too??
Oy!
No doubt. 😉
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Aww! I remember when I got them. Luckily my kids had the vaccine. Good one
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Dear Sadje,
I really don’t remember having them since I was only two. But I’ll never forget when my kids had them pre vaccine. My oldest son broke out everywhere…inside and out. My youngest son wasn’t born and has never had them. He finally got the vaccine a couple of years ago after my urging. Chicken Pox can be very serious in an adult.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh yes it is way more serious for adults. But luckily now most parents don’t have to deal with irritated kids wanting to scratch.
Salam
Sadje
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I remember when parents would expose their children so they would get over with and not worry about it later. It was a thing. Good story, bad memories. lol.
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Dear Jan,
Not too bad in the memory department. Our oldest was one sick puppy, that’s for sure. I felt awful for him. Thanks, m’luv.
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Wonderful!
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Thank you, MMA! 😀
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Hey Rochelle,
And then there is the quite unwelcome adult version: shingles. I wrote a poem about that a year or so ago.
See, that is why I try not to read other’s response to the prompt. My (non)creative plagiarism begins to cook.
Nice one, my friend. I recall neither my pox experience nor that of my kids. But I recall discussion about letting them be exposed. It turned out it wasn’t up to us.
Peace, Bill
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Dear Bill,
Being the mommy in the equation I have much clearer memories of that time than my husband.
Like you, I make it a point not to read other entries before writing my own. 😉
I am overdue for the shingrix follow-up shot. I should do something about that. I don’t remember having Chicken Pox but my mother told me I had them when I was two and a mild case at that.
Thank you for for sharing your thoughts and commenting on my story. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi again, Rochelle.
I had the first shingles shot, then after 2 yrs, shingles, and I completed the new 2-shot series last year. I do not want to deal with that evil scourge again. The virus lurks within. Take care.
Shalom. Bill
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Shingles is yuck, yuck, yuck!
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The wheels on the bus go round and round…
We’ve all been there, m’lady!
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Dear CE,
We’ve all been there…therefore it’s fair game to write about it. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Nice take on the prompt, Rochelle. My mother, sister and I got Chicken Pox when we were adults. You can imagine how pleasant that was! My mother also got Shingles.
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Dear Adele,
I had a friend who contracted Chicken Pox as an adult. He was quite ill. Thus far I’ve avoided Shingles but understand it’s quite painful. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ah, the Chicken Pox … I don’t know many people who did NOT have it.
Wrote about it in an exchange with Dale just a couple days ago … about when, at age 19, babysat for six kids (ages 8 to 1) for almost a full summer. No day camp. No disposable diapers, either … At some point in the summer, four of the six had the Chicken Pox (one got it, the others followed suit…). The only thing I can say that was ‘good’ about having FOUR sick kids at the same time, that at least didn’t have to do it sequentially. … They all got wiped with wet rags to get their temp down, all got dunked in the bath, all stood in their skivvies to get their white-lotion dabbing, all got their medicine, all got snuggles from me and then snuggled together in the big bed and watched TV or snoozed (while I ran after the 2 year old and 1 year old … who thankfully did not get sick). Nights were spent sleeping with one eye open to make sure none of the four spiked too high a fever (and trying to avoid too much cleaning up of sick kids being sick…). Days were spent making sure that none of them scratched their face so it doesn’t scar, while trying to make enticing menu items that would go down the hatch of sick children who were missing their parents and who had zero appetite and sores in their mouth. They all got better. Almost together. Small blessings.
This sure took my down memory lane!
Nicely done, Rochelle!
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Na’ama Y’karah,
Sounds like one helluva summer. I think your comment well exceeded the 91 word limit. 😉 My two year old had such a mild case I almost felt guilty for taking off work. At the time I was an inker-detailer for a drafting firm. Anyway, when I went back I informed my manager that chicken pox has a fourteen day incubation period. !4 days to the day, the other one came down. That boy was so sick…high fever and lesions inside and out.
Happy to take you down memory lane. Thank you for sharing your story. You must’ve been an awesome babysitter. Thank you re my story. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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LOL, comments don’t count in the word count! (at least, I didn’t see the fine print so I plead ignorance and verbosity …) 🙂
Oy for the ‘second coming’ of the Chicken Pox! I was one of those who had a ‘second coming’ in myself … Had it twice, possibly three times (I know, odd person, moi – as a baby, a toddler, and an 8-9 year old) AND shingles twice since … I think my body has a complicated relationship with the particular virus …
In any event, yeah, it was quite a summer. In these days before video chatting and email and with still very pricey long-distance phone calls, the kids missed their parents, and we did all manner of things to try and ease it (pre-planned weekly presents and letters for them to open, going on ‘daytrips’ to the fields nearby, arts and crafts and treats …), but at least they were in their own home and with their aunt … 😉
(Probably more than 91 words here, again … so there! 😉 )
Na’ama De-Verbose
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De-Verbose Y’karah,
I was merely making an observation. 😉 Wow…I only had Chicken pox once. Never shingles, although I’m behind on the vaccine. Still haven’t gotten the followup because I have to go to the nearest military base for it. Gotta love Medicare and their cockamame rules.
I did have German Measles my senior year in high school and on the weekend no less.
However, my body’s decided to break out in an odd, itchy burny rash every time I get sick. No explanation. My doctor has dubbed it as my body’s allergic reaction to illness.
Oy. Pardon my kvetching. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ah, I like the idea of being “allergic to illiness” 😉 (truth is, yeah, there is such a thing, that when one’s body responds in a ‘fight’ to a bug, it over-responds and the immune system reacts as if in allergy. It is actually one of the things that complicates the response to COVID-19 in many patience, where their own ‘defense’ ends up attacking their body).
To cheerier non-related topics – I think it is well past time for some ice-cream. Why? Because.
xoxo
NDV
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My goodness, that took me back! I’d completely forgotten about chickenpox till I read this. Now I’ve suddenly started itching … oh no …!
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Dear Keith,
I don’t remember having them. But I certainly remember my kids having them. Don’t scratch now. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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