COVID 2020

“JANAE ARE YOU AWAKE,” Pam said as she stood outside her friend’s door waiting for her to answer.

“NO, SHE IS NOT AWAKE,” Janae’s fiancé Phil said swinging the door open.

“I am now! What’s going on?” Janae said coming from her bedroom putting her robe on.

“Your nutty dramatic friend woke me up banging on the door. You know my leg is broken, and I almost fell off the couch and broke the other one,” Phil fussed limping down the hall. “I’ll be in the bedroom.”

“Whatever Phil! Have yawl seen the news?” Pam asked.

“No, why what’s up?”

“Janae, the Governor has ordered a stay in place shelter.”

“What the heck is that?”

“They’re saying that this disease is spreading faster than they expect. Putting people in the hospital, and we have to wear mask everywhere. And to top it off all businesses have to close at a certain time, and we are on a statewide curfew girl.”

“Wait a minute Pam, I’m sure you’re overexaggerating.” Janae attempted to reason.

Pam pulled out her phone and played the Governor’s announcement.

“Oh, my God, oh my God,” Janae said.

“What is it Janae?”

“Girl I knew we should’ve been at church on New Year’s Eve instead of at some roof top party.”

“Janae, what does being at church have to do with what’s happening now. Can’t you see our business is going to be affected by this? If the Governor is ordering a stay at home shelter, then people are going to be at home verses shopping at our clothing store.”

“Cause we should’ve been somewhere praying you nut! Girl that dream I had on December 31st, 2020 was about an animal shelter. There was a bad storm, and all these animals were left out just wondering the streets. People started bringing the animals to the animal hospital but they were full. They couldn’t help the animals. So, I went out to help and see what I could do, but I was too late, the animals were just dead everywhere. On the roads, in the grass…everywhere.” Janae said staring off into space.

“Lord help me. Not only do we have to worry about staying at home, but my friend is losing her mind,” Pam said walking toward the door. “Girl, call me when you wake up or something. I have to go find some darn toilet tissue, cause it ain’t none in the store.”

“No toilet tissue?” Janae said to herself while pondering on the news she’d just received.

“NO! We’re out! How’d you know what I was about to say?” Phill asked walking from the bathroom to the living room.

What the friends didn’t realize was that toilet tissue would be the least of their worries. 2020 had plenty of unexpected surprises for the three.