HETALIA BELONGS TO HIDEKAZ HIMARUYA
2020
Romano was always one of the first Spain called the first minutes of every new year. Even if the lines were jammed, he didn't want to wait to wish his best friend in the world a happy year. One of the good things of living in the same time zone was that he wasn't too late or too soon.
"The new 20s are here again, brother!" Spain gleefully said.
"It's not the 20s until next year. You always forget." Romano replied. "But yeah, where did time go? It seems like yesterday when you came here, to Rome, to celebrate, with the twins and Guido, remember?"
"Your New Year's parties are the best. One hundred years and I still remember."
"Yeah, but I love your Three King's day. One week more of holidays! You're not as dumb as you seem, you scoundrel, haha. Don't forget I'm coming to your house for the parade and I expect a big roscón and a gift."
"I don't know, have you been a good boy this year?"
"I have to stand you, so yeah, I think I've got merits."
"Alright, then, I'll tell Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar to be good to you."
"Fine. We have to celebrate. I have the feeling that this 2020 is going to be lit."
There was no reason to be alarmed back then. Sure they had heard that China had a flu, but the big guy knew what he was doing. SARS was almost part of his routine, and when the first symptoms showed, he cancelled some of his meetings to stay at home and recover. The rest of the planet only had to do temperature controls at the airports, insist on hand hygiene and little more. A pneumonia wasn't that bad.
Spain and Romano kept calling each other almost every day, seeing each other in summits. They paid little attention to the news coming from Asia, about China being convinced that this sickness was not pneumonia nor SARS, but something else—something he called coronavirus; Thailand and Japan starting showing symptoms. Just an Asian flu. Asia was far away.
But China, being a trading giant, did not stay at home; met many people every day. America reported not feeling well. Not much later, they saw France cough a lot in the last meeting by the end of the month. Both of them had been in touch with China. Seeing how he was spreading the infection, as much as he took precautions like keeping a physical distance and wearing a mask, China decided to confine himself at home and not allowing anyone in or out. Spain and Romano thought he was exaggerating, it was just a flu!
It was then when Veneciano started complaining about headaches. Since China had been kind enough to offer countries the technology to diagnose the sickness, him and Romano did it. Veneciano was positive. Romano wasn't. Veneciano didn't need anyone to tell him to lock himself up in his room: he felt so weak he didn't want to leave his bed. Romano left him food on a tray at the door to avoid transmission.
Nevertheless, one day he felt his chest burn and, suspecting, he tested himself. Positive.
"My stupid brother never gets jokes but sicknesses...! All you want!" Romano told Spain.
Spain giggled, but his laughter was interrupted by a coughing fit.
"You too?" Romano asked.
"Yeah, who doesn't? You know how difficult it is to avoid diseases." Spain shrugged.
They had gone through this before. Once one of them was sick, the whole continent would be sooner or later. And in those times of trains, planes, roads, diseases spread so quickly. By February, most of Europe had reported symptoms. There were news that Egypt was not feeling well either. Spain called his Latin American family to see how they were going and he was confirmed that the virus, called COVID-19 by the WHO, had reached everyone, was everywhere.
It was just a flu, they kept telling themselves. A little rest, ibuprofen and this would be over soon.
"Still up for Venice's Carnival?" Spain asked.
"Sure! This won't spoil our fun!" Romano replied.
They saw each other at the party. A stupid illness was not going to stop them from having a good time! They had never missed the Carnival, an a stupid virus would be no obstacle. Romano and Veneciano had been working on their costumes for a whole year and Spain had delayed all matters he had just to attend! Venice was crowded, people were not scared of the threat of the virus. It was just a sickness that killed old people and those who were ill already. This was an event one couldn't miss!
Drinking, taking photos, watching the parades and the amazing attires people showed...It felt like a dream. But the feeling was still there, even if they tried to ignore it.
They resisted until they could no more.
Veneciano removed his mask and Romano saw he was pale. He looked at him inquisitive.
"Romano...I...I don't feel well..." His voice was faint.
"Yeah, you don't look good at all." Spain observed.
"Please call 118...I can't...I can't breathe..."
Veneciano was not faking it or exaggerating, evidently. Spain held him in his arms while Romano hurriedly called. He was so pale it was scary.
Hours later, Veneciano was at the hospital, lying on his stomach, naked, with a tube deep down his throat. Italy's bosses declared the Carnival suspended and forbade anyone to entering or leaving Lombardy and Veneto without a special permission. Spain was allowed to go.
"This won't last, you'll see. We'll see each other soon." He told Romano before leaving.
But, just like it happened in Asia, the European countries were starting to lock themselves up at home to avoid the infection or infecting others. Life stopped at their homes. No shop which wasn't essential was let open. Streets got empty. Hospitals went full—funeral homes and cemeteries too.
Spain's government declared the state of alarm after their nation had to stay the hospital for some days himself, due to the high fever.
Fever was also what Romano experienced, but at least he didn't have to go to the hospital, like his brother and friend. That doesn't mean it wasn't bad. It was just that Veneciano got the worst part. But he still felt it. His chest aching, barely allowing him to breathe, the fever...It forced him to stay in bed most of the time.
He would always remember how tedious, how horribly slow time passed. He didn't want to stay at home. He wanted to be outside, enjoy the sun of the Spring that was just starting. He didn't want to be on the phone or the computer all day. It was not even distracting. He didn't want to see all these celebrities work out or showing off the commodities of their mansions, and he even wanted to see less the casualties report, what the other countries were going through: England with an oxygen mask on at the hospital, barely conscious; India being transported inside a transparent bag, like he was a corpse or something; even the mighty America gasping for air, fainting in the arms of a couple of nurses. He did search for Spain's situation, and what he was seeing was not good. That ice rink in Madrid he took him to once, three years before, had been turned into an improvised morgue, since funeral homes were full...Some days Spain had to endure a thousand deaths daily. Those awful days, he had to be hospitalized with great pain.
What was he going to do, all alone? Those walls trapped him. He wanted to call everyone, but he knew what the answer would be: they were all screwed.
This was not his first pandemic, he should have been used to it, but those had been very placid decades. He honestly thought all those vaccines had kept illnesses at bay and this would never, ever happen again...
Seeing the number of deaths, how quickly it spread, sometimes he wondered if they would get out alive. Perhaps...this was the definitive sickness, the one that would wipe out the human race. Just like it happened in that movie...he didn't remember which one...There were...monkeys in it? Damn, he couldn't even think straight...
Sometimes he found himself grabbing the shower bar, pretending he was in the subway heading to work, drinking coffee at the balcony like he was back to his favorite café. That routine he used to hate so, he craved it now.
During one of his endless hours on the Internet, he found that Spain was feeling the same.
A disco at the balcony. Playing bingo with the neighbors at the window, even tenis. Using all the toilet paper he bought to build a fort.
His hand looked for the phone unconsciously. When he noticed, he was making a video call. He didn't stop himself.
Spain answered. Dear Lord, did he look ugly. Unshaven, probably hadn't taken a shower in days, wearing his pajamas, his hair was a mess. His face showed that he could barely live in his own skin, was blushing probably due to the fever.
Romano saw in the little window where his own face was that he looked exactly the same.
A grin grew on both their faces.
"How are you, monster?" Romano asked.
"I feel like shit. What about you?"
"Shit."
Spain nodded.
Romano rose his thumb at him, a gesture Spain returned.
"Get online, we're playing FIFA. Since I can't beat you in real life." Romano said.
It seemed this would never end. That was why the announcement of confinements ending were almost taken like a joke, a pretty dream. But yes, there was no reason to stay at home all the time. They were starting to feel better, or at least good enough to function. They were still testing positive, but taking precautions there was no reason to be afraid to see the sun again. The nations went back to work, with online conferences at first, then face to face after a period of adaptation. Social distancing, masks...Better than nothing.
In June, Italy reopened their frontiers to the other Europeans. It was a first step—they were still hearing that America, Brazil, China and Mexico among others were having it pretty bad. Until this vaccine was finished and everyone had it, it was better to go slowly.
Spain was the first to visit them. It was a privilege he wasn't going to miss. He didn't mind about all the requirements to fly: quarantine, tests...Soon, the brothers had him at their door.
Veneciano took a step forward to hug him, but stopped himself and drew back. They were not supposed to get so close...All windows in their villa were open, they had alcohol at the hall, would clean everything well after Spain's depart...
"This sucks." Spain complained.
"I know." Romano grunted.
They looked at each other. It felt so wrong, not being able to touch each other...It felt like disrespect, like something big was missing...Their Mediterranean blood was boiling, demanded proximity.
So many centuries being close, fighting, hugging, kissing, and now they had to act like strangers...
Spain's eyes were wet when he clicked his tongue.
"Screw it. I don't care anymore. It's been so long and I've been so afraid." He muttered, and he broke the distance to hug Romano and Veneciano with one arm each.
"Yeah, come here, you." Romano sighed, and wrapped his arms around Spain and got close, closer than he had ever been. Because he was right. Because he had wondered for a few times if he would ever see him again, if both of them would be alive in June.
Veneciano was reluctant. He didn't want to break the rules because there was a good reason for them. He knew they were jeopardizing everything. But, oh, well, he guessed the masks would reduce the risk. And so he hugged his friend too.
And they got into the house, to make up for the time lost.
THE END
Dedicated to all Italian readers. L'Spagna vi ama!
Little cultural note: the holiday Spain and Romano are talking about is how Spaniards celebrate Epiphany, the 5th and 6th of January. Only after this is when Christmas season is declared over in our country. That day, we celebrate the Three Kings' pilgrimage to worship Jesus with a parade in every city of the country; it is typical that those in the carriages toss candy at the spectators. The names of these wizard kings are Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, each of them representing Europe, Asia and Africa; old, adult and young, respectively. It is almost identical to the tradition surrounding Santa Claus: children leave their shoes and something to eat by the Christmas tree and the Kings will leave coal or presents, depending on their behavior that year. It is also the time of the year when we eat the roscón, a round bun which can stuffed or not and normally comes with a paper crown, which has a figurine hidden inside and a bean: whoever finds the bean will have to pay for the roscón and the one who finds the figurine is declared the king/queen that day.