Beep* Beep*

The early morning alarm rings loud and clear. It’s time to get up and get to work. 

Brush your teeth, comb your hair, and smile

Don’t forget your mask!

I recently lost my job at a restaurant and took up an opportunity at a grocery store.

Store opens at 8:00 a.m. 9 a.m. and closes at the usual times  earlier times.

The crowd looks heavier than usual… oh 

It is actually the same.

The people are just spread at least 6 ft apart. 

“I’d like to buy these items” – muffles a customer with a very creative and festive mask.

“Where did you get your mask from?” – I ask, starting a conversation.

And what do you know, one question turned into a conversation and brought us closer than 6 ft apart with only our masks protecting us. 

I have to stay careful here… I thought as I started scanning each item.

… 

The early morning alarm rings loud and clear. The day has begun and it was time for me to get ready for work. It is very rare to say that nowadays. Most interactive places are closed during this time. Many jobs are lost during this time. Fortunately, I took up a job in grocery delivering before the pandemic started. My day used to begin with the usual: brush, clothe, eat, and go. These days my routines are a bit different. I brush, clothe (including gloves, masks, and a hat), eat, and go with a bottle of sanitizer and a box of Kleenex. Before, when I went to work, we would: greet, chit chat, gossip at times, and get to work. These days, we do not talk, no chit chat, only gossip is gossip through text, and get to work. 

When the day is over, I go home to change into my nighttime clothes, eat dinner, and hear what fun stuff my family went through the day. BUT it was different now. Coming home meant sanitizing every inch of your body, and trying to recollect every instant where you could have possibly interacted with somebody or something. There are many encounters where we can get closer or within reach for the virus to spread. Times are scary, but every day I remember that it is because of me, people can keep stocking their groceries and make their journey through the pandemic a lot easier. 

… 

We would like to thank all the people working during these unprecedented times amid the pandemic of the Coronavirus!