A novel episode:
Just yesterday I went to the market to buy some flour. Flour.
My supply had run out about a week ago, and now I was missing my morning piece of bread that usually went with the eggs I fried. Being a long walk to market, I put it off for a day or two. I thought the streets seemed quite less busy than usual. Hmmm, strange for a Friday.
I choose Fridays to go into town because people seem to be so much happier on Fridays. Me, I don’t care what day of the week it is, I enjoy every day the same. Yeah, each day has it’s uniqueness about it, sure, (well perhaps Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are quite a bit the same) but what happens on any given day of the week or the routines I choose to attach to them makes no difference to my personal happiness.
Yet for the times I want to be around people, I prefer they be in good spirits, so off I went to buy my flour. And what I found at the market shocked me.
First off, there was hardly any people there. Second thing is there was only a few vendors selling, and they hadmeager supplies. Thirdly, no one seemed to be in a good mood except for Mr. Sandfly’s dog Jasper, and old Mrs. Hadley’s grand-daughter who never stopped giggling anytime I looked at her.
Flour was nowhere to be found!
Before I could even greet Mr. Scott, a heckler of a young man stepped up to me and offered me some hand sanitizer to be bought for $15. Now why he thought I should need hand sanitizer I have no idea. I kindly refused and turned back to Mr. Scott.
“Good-day to you sir, how do you do?” I asked politely, reaching out my hand to shake his. “Well good enough, considering the circumstances,” he replied a little dejectedly, without giving me his hand. Feeling embarrassed, I dropped my hand and put it in a pocket for the time being.
“What kind of circumstances are going on here?” I asked cautiously.
“Oh, you haven’t heard?” Mr. Scott raised his eyebrows. “There’s been a virus going around, started in China, and now everyone’s up in arms about it all over the world. Government’s shut down any public meetings, and made a bunch of rules that really hampers us market folks.Everyone’s supposed to stay at home for a few weeks until it dies out I guess.”
“Where’s all your supplies?” I asked curiously. “I need some flour.”
“Yeah, about that. People kind of panicked when the announcements were made, and also they were recommending people stock up on food just in case supply chains were affected, so stock went like crazy, worse than last minute Christmas shopping.I’ve got no flour left, nor does anyone else here. Sorry man.”
I pondered that and nodded. “Well then,” I said, “I guess I’ll head back up the mountain and eat my eggs without bread for a while. Or do you have any rice perhaps?”
“No I’m out of that too. But, listen, the supply truck is still coming same time as always, so I’ll have what you need by next week Wednesday. If you’re here that day or the next, I’ll keep you some aside.”
His offer seemed reasonable, as much as I didn’t want to come in on a Wednesday. I thanked him, and agreed to see him next week.
I contemplated this news as I walked home. A virus from China…did they plan that? Did they have an antidote they were trying to sell? It must be a pretty big deal if government regulations trickled down that fast to affect people like us out here in the Wild Mountains.
I would ask more questions next week. I would stop at the General Store and buy a few of the recent newspapers. This was something I’d never heard of before in my life. I knew there had been things like this in the past, and history tends to repeat itself. That dream I had and the prayers that followed were now all beginning to make sense.
Loading...