!Trigger Warning! The following short story includes the topic of Coronavirus related deaths – stay safe, and best wishes
A Walk in the Park
“You should be standing two meters apart,” an elderly woman advised, her dog patiently waiting to walk down the concrete path as the leash stretched between them. They were standing across the path from me, her focus on a group of students meandering just ahead of us.
Three boys and two girls were clumped together laughing and enjoying the last bits of evening sunshine. They were oblivious to the woman who called after them.
I glanced down at the grass beneath my feet in order to avoid butting into something that had nothing to do with me, but, as if out of instinct, I couldn’t help but keep an ear out for what was to be said next.
Winnie tugged on her leash for a moment, oblivious, then, seeing me paused, she teetered back over to me with a curious tilt of the head. I tried to focus on her big, doe eyes as I scoped out the severity of the situation, careful not to make eye contact with anyone involved, but cautiously waiting in case something bad happened.
“Two meters,” the woman repeated firmly, unmoving.
One of the guys from the group, a blonde dude with a close shave, glanced behind himself to find the woman’s peering in his direction. He stopped walking and turned to face her. His friends continued forward but slowed until they too came to a stop a few feet further on. One girl blushed, the other looked away, and one of the guys stood with his expression twisted in repressed nervous giggles. The third boy of the crew simply stared at his blonde companion, hands shoved in his pockets.
Of course, as soon as I felt guilty enough to leave, Winnie decided this was the place to conduct her business. I couldn’t walk away now with my dog half-way through a poop.
“Thank you, but we’re flatmates,” Blondy said to the woman. I dared a glance in his direction. His expression was a mixture of annoyance and the desire to be mature. I felt bad for him and his friends, being stopped by a stranger like that was always a bit weird.
“Two meters apart, please,” the woman replied, still as a statue in her spot, her back stiffened in defiance.
“I know my rights. We’re allowed to be with flatmates. It’s okay, ma’am.”
The woman shook her head ever so slightly.
Winnie finally finished her business, so I took the opportunity to start walking away during this awkward encounter.
“My husband died on Monday.”
Silence.
The only other sound that could be heard were birds whistling in the trees.
My heart sank.
I had completed my first step onward, but couldn’t muster energy for the second as I studied the woman’s somber but firm expression.
Died? I hadn’t met anyone directly affected by the virus. Up until then the entire pandemic felt like a hazy dream to me.
I couldn’t seem to move, the shock having locked my knees straight. I tried to play it off as if I were intently watching Fangirl as she sniffed the various flora and fauna of the area. Thin tears welded in my eyes and I tried hard to blink them back so as not to cause even more of a scene.
The middle of my foot teetered on the edge of the grass and I tried to focus on balancing myself as I battled between the desire to cry for this woman and the need to get morbid thoughts of my head for sanity’s sake.
“You need to take this seriously,” the woman continued, her eyes squinted in fierce determination to get her point through to these youngsters.
“We are ma’am,” Blondy insisted, his eyebrows raised with confidence. “I don’t want to fight.” My sympathy for the teens lessened. Hadn’t they just heard what she said?
A couple who had been lounging in the sun on a bench just behind the woman stood up and walked away from the scene, hands apart. I should have done the same, but I felt as if I couldn’t move. I was hypnotized by the realness of it all.
Suddenly the stoic faced friend wandered over to blondy and put a hand on his shoulder.
“C’mon dude, lets go. Thank you for keeping us informed ma’am,” he said, though his words came out rather insincere. “I apologize for your loss.”
With that he directed Blondy back to the group, his friends already facing the other direction, intent to escape the scene.
“Have a great day ma’am,” Stoic called behind him.
All sympathy for them was gone.
“I would if my husband were here,” the woman muttered to herself.
The students continued on walking until they were past the gate and out of sight.
The woman was suddenly alone and I had the urge to go and comfort her.
But I hesitated.
Two meters apart, like she said.
She slowly began walking in the opposite direction of the students, her dog happily trotting along besides them.
She disappeared through the second park gate before I could muster up the courage to ask if she was okay.
As soon I lost sight of her it was as if a spell were broken. I jolted into action and headed further into the grass. I followed behind Winnie into the field by the play structure and tried to focus on the colors of the equipment as if we had simply come to the park like usual to play ball.
I slowly shuffled through the grass behind Winnie.
Her husband had died on Monday.
