溫心小屋
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Yesterday was the first school day for a handful of CT schools, yesterday was also the day my son got the 2nd vaccine shot.
The shot appointment was set up at 9:45am, which I knew it would be too early for him since he didn’t go to bed until 5:30 in the morning. But he got up without complain. After brushing his teeth, washing his face, dressing up neatly, he swayed to the car. His dropped eyelid exposed his tiredness from lack of sleep.
It’s the 3rd time I walked into town Walgreen. This store was spacious, bright and being layout nicely. I have to say I enjoy the environment here than I do in town CVS, which is closer to me. I always feel I live in a remoted small town, but there are some areas and stores I never visited, I guess this case happens to quite amount of people. Ignorance is common for people. Sometimes we ignore places we can access to easily, but rather go to other places less attractive and harder to get to.
The black girl who gave my son the 1st shot was busy on a drive-through customer. I stood in front of the counter, waiting for her. When she walked to the shelves, she gave me a glance of greeting, respect and kindness. With white KN95 mask on, I couldn’t see her entire face. But I have already pictured her entire face from last time. That’s a face not beautiful, but make people feel comfortable and reliable. In the same spot as last time, stood the white-haired senior male doctor whom I talked with last time. Trust has been established since our last visit.
I handed over the small-sized vaccine card, on which my son’s basic personal information and his 1st shot information was scratched with blue ink from a ball pen. This time, I noticed on her left chest, a navy blue tag pinning in the blue uniform, on which“COVID-19 hero with red color, Certified immunizer, xxxx with white color” being embossed. Thinking about the widespread fear for covid-19 virus, they are indeed heroes! so do other essencial business workers.
After having something typed into computer, she let me wait for a form which need to be fill up before vaccination. There were three chairs along the wall, we sat down to wait.
“I am here to get my booster shot.” A senior white woman told the pharmacist.
I was surprised. I heard the existence of the booster shot, but I didn’t know it’s already available now even I am not sure if I would like to get it some day. I may wait, just like what I have done for the 2 shots.
A familiar body appeared in front of the counter. That’s her, Susan, my friend who is twenty years older than me. I stood up and stepped to her.
I pat her butt gently and fondly with my hat. ”Hi Susan!”
“Hi, xxx. Why are you here?”
“I am here for my son’s 2nd vaccine shot. “
“Oh, where is he? How old is he?”
She turned around, their eyes met, both smiled.
“pull down your mask, let me see your face.”
He pulled his mask down to his chin, exposing her a young adult face with shy smile.
“He looks like you.” 你兒子像你。
I was happy to hear this.
She sat next to me, then we started chatting….
She said her daughter-in-law take extreme precaution against covid-19. We both think her reaction is way too much, somehow crazy. the last time Susan saw her grandchildren was a month ago, they all stood outside beside the pool. She touched her son’s hairs, her son receded abruptly and said “mom, please, please, you know Jane…” . I guess he means Jane will give him hard time.”she sighed. I could tell she was kind of sad.
“Then the school will reopen next week, what will she do for her three kids?”
“Based on her reactions, there is no way for her to send the kids to school, no way…this summer, she went to grocery store, that was the first and only time she went to grocery school during the pandemic, she kept saying “ it’s too dangerous, too dangerous...”
”那孩子學習怎麽辦？“
”她本來就不上班，我兒子過去一年多也一直在家辦公。他們就自己教孩子嘍。我給三個孩子拍照，最小的要跑過來拉我的手，被他媽媽抓住了腳踝。享利以前不是這樣的，是受JANE的影響才變的。我的另一個兒了威廉不一樣，他比較信生死由命，和我一樣，過得輕鬆。“
那次我對她：“簡，你這樣對孩子不好。”
接下來，她說她住在這附近已經二十幾年了。這裏曾經是一片樹林，這些商業設施都是近十幾年內逐步建成的。我給她看了我前不久去紐約玩的照片。她看著WORLD TRADE CENTER, 911紀念館，在原雙子塔處修建的紀念碑，黑色花鋼石上刻滿的名字。她說她很久沒去紐約了，而她曾經住在紐約的皇後區。她是意大利移民，家鄉在西西裏島。我想當年她和她的移民家庭也經曆了類似中國早期的移民家庭所經曆的艱難，通過奮鬥，走向成功，融入主流。
我一年前還問她是否回去過她意大利的家鄉。她說2017年回去過，不過都變了樣。島上建了很多的樓宇，樓宇擋住了人們望海的視野。從她的談吐和衣著，我看得出她是個很文藝的人，盡管她已年近70。她很注意飲食健康，也注意保持體型，我和她最初見麵就是在公園走路時。蘇珊的皮膚白晰，沒什麽皺紋和斑點，五官也立體精致。見她的整體狀態還是挺迷人的，我曾經不止一次對她說“去找個男朋友吧，你還很有媚力呢”。她聽了，隻管笑。我猜她心裏也想，隻是沒有遇到那麽一個人。一對雙方都能看對眼的人相遇，是需要機緣的。
而昨天，有些地方還有人就州長頒布的上學戴口罩的臨時令進行遊行抗議。人們對疫情的反應是如此的懸殊，無奈卻都住在同一個星球上。看來要想人人滿意，隻能是各人劃塊地盤，個過個的日子。
早上新發現的一處向日葵園，把照片發給鄰居ANNA， 並約好明天帶她來賞花。
少年們在青草地上奔跑踢球，中年的我在樹叉間看他們，也看書，
