Why Are We Here?

From the line at CVS

Goth girl drums her long pointy nails on the pharmacy counter, click, click, click.They're painted black, with little yellow lightning bolts on them. Her hair is shaved on one side of her head just above her ear, and it's dyed orange. The combination of the orange hair, black lipstick and round face gives her a halloween pumpkin look. Her name tag says: How May I Help You? with the name Tiffany underneath. She hates her name and wants to change it to Hera. Her mother says it will kill her if she does, but Tiffany doesn't care.

"Why are we here Marge?" asks the old man standing in front of the counter. He's slight, with baggy blue shorts and white athletic socks, pulled up to his knees, and a shock of white hair sticking up from his head.

"Joe, I told you, we're here to get our covid shots." Marge standing beside him, says patiently, even though she's told him ten times already.

"I need your vaccination cards," says Tiffany/Hera, bored already.

"Oh dear, now where did I put those?" Marge is flustered. She spent so much time telling Joe why they were going to the pharmacy that she doesn't quite remember if she has them.

A line is forming behind them. A woman, pink burp cloth on her shoulder, is bouncing up and down trying to sooth her crying baby. She tries to hold the baby over her shoulder and hold her toddler's hand, but it's too much, and the little girl takes off, running around the store. 

"Holly, get back here! This instant!" Holly in her pink tights and white corduroy dress just laughs and runs down the aisle for wound care, digestive health, and back around pain relievers and multivitamins. Another woman, black from a bottle hair, and an out of style beehive hairdo, stands behind her, muttering to her husband how their little kids never ran around like that. Her husband is big, tall and broad, with a red check flannel shirt, and a ruddy complexion. He looks like a lumberjack with his biceps straining at the shirt sleeves. He towers over his wife who is wearing a raincoat cinched tightly around her waist, even though it isn't raining.

At her feet Marge has a large quilted bag, with hot pink hibiscus all over it, sitting at her feet. She bends down to search though it, her Live, Love, Laugh sweatshirt rising up about her lime green polyester pants.

Joe squints at Tiffany/Hera's name tag but he can't quite make out her name. "And what's your name little girl?"

Tiffany/Hera bristles at the 'little girl'. "It's Hera," she tells him, her eyes narrowing.

Marge is still looking for the vaccination cards. She starts to empty her bag onto the counter: wallet, appointment book, Medicare cards, a coupon for a free soda at Dennys, tissues, a comb, license, library card, medication bottles, and surprisingly, a brand new iPhone. She's making a little mountain there on the counter.

Leaning forward so her can hear her Joe asks, "Hera, are you Greek? Because there was a Greek goddess named Hera, goddess of woman."

"Ya, I know," Tiffany/Hera says, watching the line behind him grow longer. Two nuns in their black habits from the Notre Dame Convent down the street, get into the line. Holly runs up and plays with one of the nun's rosary beads, which hang loosely from her waist. The nun smiles, and puts her hand on Holly's head, giving her a blessing. Holly giggles and runs away. The woman in the beehive hairdo turns around to the nun, and says to her "God bless you Sister."

Now everyone in the store knows the girl's name is Holly, and a boy, Peter, has joined her. Together they run around ear and eye care, toothpaste, beauty and hair care. Peter's mother, young, in her early twenties, smiles at Holly's mother, giving a little shrug  as it to say, 'what are you going to do?' The beehive woman is playing peek-a-boo with the fussy baby in front of her, who is trying to laugh and cry at the same time.

A business woman, in a Prada power suit and Jimmy Choo shoes, comes up behind Peter's mother and asks her if she knows what the hang up is.

"I'm not sure, something about covid cards."

"Oh great," the business woman replies, rolling her eyes and looking at her watch.

"Marge, why are we here?"

"For the love of God Joe! Hey, I found them! Marge hold up the vaccination cards like little trophies. Everyone in the line behind her gives out a collective sigh. She hands them over to Tiffany/Hera, who looks them over with disgust.

"They're laminated. You can't have laminated vaccination cards."

Marge's smile disappears and her face is red with embarrassment.

"I guess we're a little disorganized today Hera," says Joe.

Tiffany/Hera takes them between her pointy nails. "Listen, I'll just write you out new cards," and grabs a pen, a feat with her long nails. "Just go to those orange chairs over there and the pharmacist will come over and give you the shot."

"Thank you, thank you dear," Marge says relieved.

"Ya, whatever," says Tiffany/Hera.

Marge and Joe step out of the long line of customers and make their way over to the chairs. Just then the baby gives a big, loud burp, and everyone in line laughs.

"Why are we here Marge?" Joe asks again.

"Never mind Joe, just sit in the chair, and I'll explain later."

Reviews

[Ken Simm.]

What a slice of everyday life these days. One could almost be there and not feel out of place. As to the bewilderment. Now that I do understand.

[NormaZ]

Thanks for reading Ken, the days of bewilderment are closer that I would like!

[emmajoygreen]

Start to finish and in between, this is a marvellous, wonderful and very visual piece of prose. Characters as real and varied as they can, be, the run around of the two children, Hera or Tiffany (or Hera!) who surely has to be the secret creator of everything happening in the CVS, Then there us the waiting.. the queue.. the questions and answers BUT most of all, the reality of how things have been, could be, will be - who knows THis really is theatre with a cast of dozens here, there and everywhere. Superb story telling that deserves a three or so minute read or a repeat read that readers can, will and should recognise
As to dear bewildered Joe, guess we all know one of those dear people.

[NormaZ]

Thank you Emma, I'm glad you enjoyed it! This kind of actually happened to me in a CVS line. A lot of it is fiction, but not the part about the covid card!

[emmajoygreen]

I really believe that, Being involved or near to all those people, actions, etc, is like being at/in the theatre! You have written it superbly - tis truly visual!