Keeping it Civil
Emelina squinted and leaned forward over the steering wheel. The only person Emelina could see on the street was a woman standing directly below the street light on the corner. She couldn’t tell who she might be. Slowing and stopping at the fourway stop, she looked for the street signs. There. Yes this is the right intersection. What is she wearing? Some kind of mask? Her clothes are so dark and nondescript. Absolutely no shape or colour. Thank goodness there are no other cars. I never know which car should go first. Emelina decided it was a woman on that corner. She had assured that she was at the right intersection. A flutter of excitement settled lightly in the pit of her stomach. Just then, the woman looked up from her cell phone, started to wave, hesitated, tripped and then waved vigorously. How will I know her? We haven’t seen each other for so long and then it was only at father's funeral about ten years ago. Desperanza had been present but left as soon as the services were over. That had seemed, to Emelina, really quite rude. There were many family and friends who would have loved to visit with her and express their condolences. Emelina looked down the empty streets. How unusual? She had been the only car on the road, besides the parked ones, since she left home. There were a couple of big trucks but otherwise nothing. No, that’s not a mask. She just has a scarf pulled up over her mouth and nose.
~~~~
Desperanza was getting cold. The late night mist made her just feel colder. Hopping up and down in tiny bunnyhops, she hoped no one could see her. But she really had to go to the bathroom! Yep, there was a single light in a fourth floor apartment across the street. Probably some weirdo was checking her out. So she stood still. Headlights were coming towards her. Did Sergeant ‘Eye Candy’ tell me what kind of car to watch for? Desperanza didn’t think so, but it was the only car on the street and at almost the right time ~ 4:33a.m. according to her cell phone. The birds weren’t even awake yet. Desperanza’s mood wasn’t getting any better. She was about to wave, but hesitated….squinted at the headlights, decided to take a chance, tripped on a non-existent pebble on the sidewalk, and waved wildly, grabbing the power pole beside her at the same time.
Emelina pulled up behind a small red Corsica. Carefully turning off the CRV’s engine she stepped down to the sidewalk. “Desperanza? Is that you? It’s so good to see you? Why were you in jail? Have you been injured?” Uncharacteristically, she reached out to give her sister a hug. Desperanza pulled up her scarf and backed away.
“Don’t get so close. Don’t you know we’re not supposed to? I’ll tell you about jail and no I haven’t been injured. Can we just get off the street? I’m cold and I have to pee. I’m hungry and need coffee.” By the time she had finished talking, she was in the back seat and on the passenger side of the Honda, with her seat belt on. I must be hallucinating. I can smell coffee in here. Emelina was still on the street, staring after her sister and uncharacteristically slack jawed. Closing her mouth, just a little too firmly, she marched back to the car. She got in, closed the door, just a little too firmly, snapped her seatbelt into place and started the car. Under her breath she muttered Well, you could have said ‘Thank you, Emelina for being so kind and picking me up at this ungodly hour.'
“Desperanza, if you want coffee I have some here. There was a drive through coffee shop already open and I got some for each of us. They used to be a 24 hour one but just last week they changed their hours. Digby didn’t tell me why.”
“No thanks, I’ll wait til we get to your place and make some fresh coffee. We’ll have to throw that out. Too many people have handled that cup. And who’s Digby? Your boyfriend. Sounds more like a butler to me.”
“He is a butler. My butler. Can we start again please? If you’re coming to stay with me for a while, we at least need to be civil to one another. Not this childish arguing that we’re already engaging in.”
Dezperanza agreed grudgingly. “You’re right. I really do need a safe place to stay 'til this pandemic thing is over.”
Emelina’s already ramrod straight spine straightened. Invisible Menace. That’s what Digby had said. Had he been talking about a pandemic?
“What did you say? A pandemic? I knew there was some infection thing that had become a problem some place but that it was really only like the flu. Not a big deal. Is that why you’ve got that scarf pulled up?”
“You really are out of touch aren’t you? Don’t you listen to Dr. Henry or even Justin? Why do you think the streets are so empty? And you’re right we need to be civil to each other. But tell me one thing. When we get to your place, where is the nearest bathroom?
“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me the truth.”
~ Henry David Thoreau, Walden
*Reviewed and edited May 07, 2020
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