Covid Orphans explores the vulnerability of children left parentless due to Covid-related deaths. It reveals the underbelly of society and celebrates the power of a community to counteract the darkness.
Chandra Powell, is an essential worker in a long-term care facility. As Covid-19 begins to spread rapidly through nursing homes in Florida, Chandra is one of a small staff who isolate onsite to continue taking care of residents and prevent bringing the virus home. She is one of the first to die. Chandra’s last request of her teenage daughter is to care for her younger sister and brother.
With no family to whom they can turn, fearing they will be split up in foster care, Chandra's children resolve to continue living as if their mother is still alive and isolating as an essential worker. They successfully manage new challenges for a few weeks until a neighbor suspects their secret, and their lives take a dark turn.
Their descent into abuse, fear, and intimidation is interrupted by a simple gesture; the return of Chandra’s personal effects left behind at work. But their relief is short lived as Isabella must still pay the price for choices made fulfilling her mother’s last wish.
Covid Orphans explores the vulnerability of children left parentless due to Covid-related deaths. It reveals the underbelly of society and celebrates the power of a community to counteract the darkness.
Chandra Powell, is an essential worker in a long-term care facility. As Covid-19 begins to spread rapidly through nursing homes in Florida, Chandra is one of a small staff who isolate onsite to continue taking care of residents and prevent bringing the virus home. She is one of the first to die. Chandra’s last request of her teenage daughter is to care for her younger sister and brother.
With no family to whom they can turn, fearing they will be split up in foster care, Chandra's children resolve to continue living as if their mother is still alive and isolating as an essential worker. They successfully manage new challenges for a few weeks until a neighbor suspects their secret, and their lives take a dark turn.
Their descent into abuse, fear, and intimidation is interrupted by a simple gesture; the return of Chandra’s personal effects left behind at work. But their relief is short lived as Isabella must still pay the price for choices made fulfilling her mother’s last wish.
“Meemaw, mama’s home!” exclaimed 4-year-old Isabella. She had been waiting all day, sitting on the edge of a battered old sofa, that flanked a washing machine and a couple of lawn chairs, on a makeshift porch covered by corrugated plastic.
She was watching for the arrival of her daddy’s car. On this September afternoon it was carrying precious cargo.
“Okay, Bella, come on in now and let papa and mama get the baby inside. I don’t know how you can sit out there in this sweltering heat with those damn gnats swarmin’ around your head.”
The Honda parked behind an old Ford 150 crew-cab pickup and the rusted hulk of a Dodge Charger which sat on blocks. Marshall got out of the driver’s side and hustled around to help Chandra and their newborn out of the car.
Isabella stood quietly just inside the doorway as her brand-new sister, Makayla, was carried in and settled into a crib in the dining room.
Such an odd place for a crib, but the tiny three-bedroom double-wide in Millen was home to the Singletary family of six plus Chandra, Isabella, and now, Makayla. Chandra, Marshall, and Isabella slept on the tattered fold-out sofa bed in the living room just a few feet from the dining room and kitchen.
The trailer in Millen was too small, money was too tight, and tempers flared without much provocation.
Millen is in Jenkins County, one of the poorest counties in the state of Georgia. Marshall, being the eldest, helped support his mother and four siblings after his father was killed coming home from work by a drunk driver.
Chandra was only 16 when she found herself pregnant with Isabella and there was no doubt Marshall was the father. Chandra’s mother was lost in a fog of drug addiction and prostitution, so Chandra and Marshall agreed that it be best for all concerned if they moved into the Singletary home. Since Isabella’s birth, Chandra took care of Marshall’s siblings and the household while Marshall and his mother, Linda, worked.
Marshall was a rather good mechanic having completed a program at Jenkins County High School. He worked for the county maintaining their vehicles, doing oil changes and tune-ups. Linda waitressed and bartended at the local watering hole not far from the garage where Marshall worked.
At Halloween Marshall and Chandra drove his brothers, sister, and his baby girls sixteen miles to the Mallards Mill Mall for trick or treating.
“You remember Devon that I went to high school with?” Marshall asked as they walked the mall with Makayla snuggled into a baby sling against Chandra’s chest.
“Sure, he was the smart one in your posse, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah, smart enough to get the hell out of here as soon as he graduated. He went down to Florida and got a certificate from the community college in heating and air conditioning repair. He says it’s a booming business down there.”
“Sure does get hot in Florida so I imagine it’s a good job.”
“So we were talking, and he figures if I applied with the school district where he’s working he could put a good word in for me and get me on with them. He says it’s a good, solid place to work with benefits and a pension down the road.”
“Wow, that sounds great, Marshall. Are you thinking of doing it?”
“I was, but then I thought about Momma and the kids. I’m responsible for helping them with my dad gone, and I bring in more money than Momma does. I can’t just leave them.”
“Marsh, I’m not that good with money, but I’m pretty sure that the money you’re bringing home is used up by taking care of us, Isabella, and now Makayla. Do you really think your paycheck is helping your momma? I think the four of us probably cost her more than you make.”
Once the mall circuit was complete, they rounded up the kids and headed back to Millen. Marshall’s siblings were in the back seat taking inventory of their candy haul, while Isabella sat quietly strapped into a car seat that she had outgrown, sucking on a cherry lollypop. Chandra stroked Makayla’s peach-fuzz covered head and stared out the window wondering what life would be like if she could ever escape the pre-determined poverty and struggle of rural Georgia.
The next morning after all the kids were out the door for school Chandra approached Linda.
“Did Marsh tell you about hearing from Devon Johnson?”
“What’s he up to? I know he moved right after school”
“Yeah, he went to South Florida, got a certification in air conditioning repair and has a great job with the school district. He thinks he could get Marsh in if we moved down there.”
“Sounds like a great opportunity if Devon’s not just blowing smoke out his butt. He always was a big talker.”
“He was that. Doesn’t matter though, Marsh wouldn’t leave you and the kids in a bind, besides who would take care of the kids while you were working?”
“Girl, look around here. You’re smart, you know this isn’t where you want to raise those little girls. It would be hard not having you and Marshall here, mostly because he keeps his little brothers in line, but I won’t stand in your way. I’ve made my bed and I’m layin’ in it every day. It’s not Marshall’s burden. Besides, Franklin’s almost 15 and he can take care of the younger ones until I get home. We’d figure things out.”
It was decided then. Marshall went online during his lunch hour and put his application in with the Broward County School Board. Linda agreed to carry a larger burden of expenses so Marshall could save some money. When March 2008 roared into Georgia like a lion, Marshall and Chandra loaded up the Honda with Isabella and Makayla and all their meager belongings to head south. Marshall still hadn’t heard from the school district, but Devon told him to come anyway. He was sure there would be a job for him.
This was a moving, heartbreaking, and triumphant story about family and community in the face of evil.
With the Covid-19 pandemic as a backdrop, it explores a "what if?" scenario that, though fictional, could easily have happened to a family: death of a parent, lockdown restrictions, and a lecherous abuser exploiting their misfortune. Told from a third-person omniscient narrator, it covers multiple viewpoints of the mother, her children, and all the parties that come into play to rescue the family and defend the eldest daughter's unknowingly illegal activities. Swinging from emotionally wrenching scenarios to practical, procedural court justice systems, there is a lot to love here for all types of readers -- drama, crime, family life, faith, and even a sliver of romance.
Above all, at its heart is the story of the community that closes ranks around the three children once they knew what was going on, rescuing them in more ways than one. I especially loved the late-in-life romance with two characters who assumed parental roles, the Reverend's involvement at all stages of the children's lives, and the resilience of the young girl Isabella as she faced her abuser despite having the odds stacked against her. There are also a few plot twists that employ dark comedy, which will thrill and excite readers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel all the way through, and flew through it quickly. There are no real flaws here, but I were to comment on anything to set other readers' expectations, it would be that as it covers several years of events, the pacing does speed up significantly at times, particularly when the chunks of the factual research of the novel are slotted into the narrative.
Also, though I appreciated that there is a universal element to this story -- this could've happened to any family -- I felt like race was a critical factor of this particular story, but it was mentioned (told) rather than being naturally interwoven into the story (shown) through descriptions, behaviours, language, etc. The story is more plot-driven than character-driven so these elements were minimal, whereas the backdrop of Covid and the story's events with the court case took prominence. Nevertheless, as indicated, these are not drawbacks to the story itself in any way, but just my own takeaway as a reader of the writer's style and preferences in the way she told her story.
Overall this was a beautiful, multi-layered story that was well written and engaging. I admit that the title made me wary at first -- as we're still *in* the pandemic, it's difficult to read novels set in this time! -- but I was glad that the real story here is much, much deeper than just "another pandemic story." Here, we see the potential gaps of coverage revealed by the pandemic -- the events that snowballed simply because our society was not prepared for it.
From the abuse that was able to trickle through the gaps, to the new criminal outlets that manifested as predators were forced to change tactics, to the flaws in the systems for social and financial government assistance programs; it was eye-opening and enlightening to consider some of the ways in which this pandemic broke our society. More importantly, it was heartwarming to see the ways in which the goodness in our community can triumph over its evil.
This story is an important one, and I could even imagine it being made into a film, as there are many highs and lows and twists that would make for an epic, excellent, cinematic story. I look forward to reading more by this author.