Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

The grocer is talkative tonight. He’s eating a sandwich as I come in. He calls out from the back of the shop, still chewing. “Hello! Peace and blessings! Welcome!” I consider getting some of the small green apples from the tables outside the store. I don’t. Those that are left don’t look good. There aren’t any apples left inside. I get plums instead. I look for peppers. There aren’t any on the shelves. I see them in the refrigerated case. I get a few and try to shut the case's door. It doesn’t close completely. I try again. “Don’t worry. You have to do it exactly right. And it doesn’t really matter.” He keeps talking as I come toward the front. I understand little of what he says. He talks with his hands. It helps. I try to open a plastic bag for grapes. I can't get the right grip on it. I’m wearing a mask, so I slide my finger along my forehead, hoping to pick up some sweat. There isn’t much there. The grocer has stepped behind the counter. He hands me an open bag. “I know how hard those are to open. I cheat. You see this glass of water here? I’m not drinking it. It’s for the fingers and the bags.” I get a small package of blueberries and put everything on the counter. He combines most of what I’ve gotten into a single bag. He puts the grapes in another, even though they’re already in one. “You need another bag for the grapes. They would spill from a bag this small.” He rings me up. The register calculates the bill from the weight of the items. He rounds it down to an even number. “Here you go. Thank you. We’ll see each other again. Peace and the best of health.” I head out. He goes back to his sandwich.