February 19, 2022 Jane and John

Jane looked over her shoulder and saw the chaos unfold. She wanted to scream, why were they doing this? Why couldn’t they just listen? Instead, they sent the police.

“Jane, honey we have to go now. Look, they are pushing people back and it’s getting out of hand,” John’s voice penetrated Jane’s thoughts. “The police are coming for everyone. No one was going to listen no matter how hard they blared their horns.” John said, and he grabbed Jane’s hand. 

“All we wanted them to do was listen! Why won’t the government listen?” Jane felt exhausted and worn out. Did she really expect them to listen?

“Those idiots with the swastika and some of the other shady characters that were making themselves part of the protest didn’t help our cause,” Jane said in reply to her own comment.

“I just can’t believe this is Canada. Fuckin Trudeau doesn’t care about any of us.” John looked toward the line of police offers wearing riot gear who continued to push the protesters back. 

“They don’t get it, John, I watched all the doctors that came out against the vaccine for covid19. The risk of taking the vaccine is worse than the risk from this overblown flu.” Jane watched many YouTube videos and all the stuff she read on Facebook – it had to be true. “Trudeau is part of it. He’s got to go! It’s all a big plan by the elites to take over the world.” 

Jane and John had to do something, anything. So they came to Ottawa on February 6, they came to fight for freedom. It was intoxicating being in the crowd of so many people that thought like her.

The energy was unbelievable.

After a while she didn’t want to leave, John felt the same, he was laid off from his job as an ambulance driver because he refused to get vaccinated. So with nothing else to do, the couple from Branden, Manitoba packed up their R.V. and joined the convoy when it rolled through. It was amazing to feel the excitement and the purpose behind their mission to Ottawa. 

She was going to fight for her country, fight to get it back. It was her body and her right to chose what she would put in it. 

“Hun they are coming closer I think we better leave.” John pulled hard on Jane’s hand as the backs of the protesters were being relentlessly pushed toward them. “I am too old to stand in the front lines like they are. Let’s get out of here, I’ve had enough.” 

“You’re right John, let’s get out of here.” Jane looked over John’s shoulder and watched a policeman stare right through her like she didn’t exist. She thought for a moment she saw remorse in his eyes.

The bodies were way too close now and they felt the crush push them forward. John let go of Jane’s hand for a second.

Suddenly John was gone, lost in the onrush of people.

“John…” Jane cried out but the sound of the clash of bodies and yelling drowned out her words. Her eyes searched, where did he go? There were hats, Canadian flags strange faces, and looks of fear everywhere. The front line had collapsed and the people had turned and began to flee.

Where was John?

A deep pit appeared in her stomach and she searched the crowd some more. For a minute she thought she heard his voice calling her name as it was swallowed up by the throng of people.

Everything had gone so wrong.

She fell.

Jane tried to reach up, suddenly she felt a hand grab her arm. She looked up and felt someone pull her gently to her feet. She turned around to see who’d helped her.

It was that policeman who looked at her before. She immediately tried to pull away, a new fear grabbed her. 

“Miss I’m not going to arrest you. I didn’t want to see you get hurt.” The policeman looked to be around twenty-five. He was half her age at least, she looked into his eyes and knew he meant no harm. She just wished she could see his whole face.

“Why are you doing this anyway? We are Canadian citizens and we have a right to be here.” Jane felt her strength and resolve return.

“Miss, you protesters have been driving the people of Ottawa insane. It’s time for you to go home. It’s time for this to end. I wish it didn’t have to end this way.” The police officer looked down on Jane with a mixture of pity and disdain. “Really, this has gone on too long. You made your point but now it is over.” 

“Don’t you realize the government is using you, you’re being duped?” Jane said to the young officer. “This goes way deeper than Trudeau even. It’s a fucking flu, the world shut down for a flu.”

The cop’s eye’s glared holes through her at this statement. “My mother died from this so-called flu. This shit is real, I have seen enough of the hospitals and been to enough calls to know this ain’t faked, lady. The only reason I even helped you is that you reminded me of my mom”

She could feel the anger begin to vibrate from his hand as he tightened his grip on her wrist. 

“Sorry about your mom. But this is all wrong and now the government has proved our point, it is about control.” Jane turned and frantically looked for her husband in the melee. Where was John? “Can you let me go,” The pit in her stomach was now a gaping hole.

“Mam, you need to go on home now. This will be over soon, believe it or not, this is all too real,” the policeman said.

“I know what’s real and that is the pain in my wrist. I also know that this is bullshit.” Jane was beginning to feel a bit more reckless.

The cop looked down at her and loosened the grip on her arm. “Listen, mam, I am tired of arguing with you people. Just go home and let it go…”

“Can you let me go? I need to find my husband.” Jane tried to pull her arm out of his grasp. She cranked her head and looked around. 

“Jane! Hey officer let her go, she’s done nothing wrong, none of us have.” John appeared as if by magic and came walking toward Jane and the policeman as the crowd continued back down the street.

“Sir I could give you a list, starting with being the biggest pain in the ass this city has ever seen.” The cop let go of Jane, turned around, and walked to catch up with the receding line of police. “Just go home you two, I don’t want to see you again.” 

Jane wasn’t sure but she thought she could see the hint of a smile in the policeman’s eye. Maybe he was a man just doing his job after all.

“Jane, let’s go home now, I’ve had enough.” John reached over, grabbed Jane, and pulled her in for a hug.

Jane looked thoughtfully at the back of the policeman who’d helped her up and let her go. She looked at her husband and said, “this isn’t over yet John, you’ll see.” 

***

This is a completely fictional account of the events that occurred February 16-18 in Downtown Ottawa. Jane and John are composite characters of many of the people that I have known over the last two years. People who are convinced this is a conspiracy and covid is not real. I strongly disagree with that viewpoint and feel these people are misguided and misinformed. I truly believe that our elected officials and our Health care experts are doing what they feel is right and trying to find the best way to protect us.

The question that does scare me the most about all this chaos and division that has taken place over the last two years is… 

What if Jane and John are right?