By Guest Blogger: Caryn Schlesinger
Boy, what I wouldn’t give for a Coke right now. In a smooth glass bottle shaped perfectly for my hand. Cold. I haven't allowed myself a Coke in years. It’s bad for me. But right now, in these crazy Corona times, I want a Coke. What I am beginning to need however, are things like eggs and milk and bread. I’m in the vulnerable zone. I’m afraid to go out, but I have to do something.
I should have known things were serious two weeks ago, when I was able to get a hair appointment in less than twenty four hours. Where I go, you usually have to book your next hair appointment at the end of the appointment you’re at. And even that could sometimes be tricky. It was so quiet in the salon that you could actually hear the background music - Forever Young. Rod Stewart.
So the next day when my French Friend, Liliane, called and asked me to join her and her French Friends on the New York City Ferry, I happily joined in. “I put going on that ferry on my bucket list in June,” I told her. “And I still haven’t gone.” So I met her and Astrid, and Alix and Emmanuel at the 90th Street dock. There were hugs and kisses on both cheeks as Lil introduced her friends from Alsace. They didn’t speak much English and I don’t speak much French. Perfect. Then of course, there was Purell. We were not unaware after all. Oh what a day we had! We went to Wall Street, saw the bull and ate at Luke’s Lobster. I insisted the girls try the mac and cheese, it is so American! We sailed on the Staten Island Ferry and saw Lady Liberty coming and going. We went to South Street Seaport. It was almost completely empty, but on the roof there were children ice skating and seesaws that lit up when you mounted and rode them. I played with my new friends. Astrid and I shared an icy Heineken. Separate cups. Looking back, thank God for that!
Since then, things have gotten way more serious. I have learned to wash my hands before and after I do anything. And I mean anything! OK, good idea anyway. All of a sudden, I was struck with the thought that stores might close, so I ran to the grocery store! I looked down. Both my hands, were gripped around the handle of a shopping cart. A shopping cart that just moments ago I thought myself lucky to find. BOTH HANDS! “You’ll be fine,” I whispered to myself. “You’ll be fine. When you go home you will scrub-a dub-dub those hands.” Right. “Just don’t touch your face first!” the demon inside warned. “Don’t touch your face!” Fast as Goldilocks running from the three bears, I ran home. I washed my hands, washed my groceries, wiped my counters, the handles on my cabinets, the handles on my fridge, and of course I washed my hands again.
That was a week and a half ago and I’m running out of supplies. Trouble is, I see us ascending the Corona Roller Coaster. It’s scary right now. People are dying. They have built a hospital in Central Park. There are refrigerated trucks on streets filled with the frozen bodies of people’s parents, grandparents, husbands, wives and even sons, daughters and friends. This is what’s happening on our way up. 562 people died last night. “The curve continues to go up,” Mayor Cuomo just said. This Corona Coaster makes the Cyclone look mild. I’m terrified and I’m hungry and I really want a Coke. I’ll even settle for one in a can. Which leaves me with another problem. How am I going to get more food? ‘Cause I ain’t a goin’ out there. Naw, not me.’
So here I am in the land I never thought I would enter: Online shopping. Don’t laugh, but there are tears in my eyes. I love to go from store to store, greeting every doorman and dog walker on the way. I love living in a neighborhood. I have thought of Amazon as the evil empire that will increasingly keep us from each other. I didn’t know that a virus would come along and do that. So I’m three hours in and on my second store. They let you do your whole order without telling you that there are no foreseeable delivery dates in the future. Bingo! Second store. Delivery in three days. And they have Coke. In a bottle.
There is a God.
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