(FICTION)
CORONA
JOSEPH COREY
CORONA
JOSEPH COREY
Matthew turned the volume up as he drove down the road in his 2002 Honda Civic. He sang along to the chorus of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean,’ but with his own lyrics as he drove:
Drivin’ round, looking for paper
I’m drivin’ round, lookin’ for toiiilllettt paper
In the two stores he had visited, it was gone. All the shelves for toilet paper and paper towels, empty. He hoped the CVS near Route One would be different. At a light, checked his phone. A new message from Mom: Make sure to distance yourself from others, Matthew. And wear gloves, please.
Matt responded that he would, then he clicked on a new podcast from his favorite political commentator.
So, shit really is hitting the fan, guys. The markets have plunged for the second straight week as this Coronavirus continues to put everyone in a panic. And, it gets worse. The Federal Reserve inserted over a trillion dollars to help revive the market. When it comes to Universal Healthcare, they constantly throw out the “how ya gonna pay for it” shtick. But if their precious market crashes, they instantly throw out a TRILLION to save it – and it didn’t even help! The markets went up for an hour then tanked again.
An incoming phone call interrupted the podcast. It was his old college friend, Kevin.
“Ayo,” Matt said with a smile. He turned right onto Route One.
“Whats up, Corona?” Justin asked. It was his little nickname for Matty ever since he came back from teaching English in China two months ago. It was funny at first.
“Just drivin’ around looking for some shit papers. You know where any are?”
“Nah, I got the last pack at Giant yesterday. Was a shitshow in that place.”
“Bastard,” Matt jokingly said. He sat at a red light.
“Listen, we’re having a little bonfire tonight. Gonna invite the girls. You should show your face, Matty.”
‘We’ referred to Kevin’s two housemates, also from the college days — days that everyone but Matt seemed to be trying to keep alive. All Matt could think about were his friends in Shanghai. That and how his Mom urgently needed some toilet paper.
“Nah, I’m good, man. Gotta call my girl in China.” But they had broken up. They broke up before he left China. But still, sounded better than ‘looking after my Mom.’
“Come on, man, ya girl doesn’t have to know about anything happening over here.” Matt heard Justin say it with that shark grin of his.
“So, you’re not ‘social distancing?’”
“Hah. None of us have the virus, and if even if we get it – we’ll be fine, man. It only kills old people.”
Matt thought of his Mom at home, “I’ll let you know. Talk to you soon.”
“Peace.”
Matt hung up. He thought about it. He hadn’t seen old friends since the first weekend back. But there was a strange feeling around them. Between the Coronavirus jokes or the constant questions about Chinese women, it all made him feel like a goldfish in a minnow pond, as his dad used to say.
Matt glanced at his phone as he parked in front of CVS. He received an email from a recruiter he’d interviewed with: Matthew, thank you for your interest in the Communications Coordinator position for Circa Co. While we found your experience impressive, we have decided to pursue other candidates at this time. Best of luck in your job search. Cathy.
He set the phone down. He sighed. He looked at a woman walking into CVS with her child. She wore a mask and gloves. Her son did too. Matt left China – his friends, his girlfriend too, and for what? A job that fell through? Escaping a virus that followed him anyway?
Matt opened the car door. It creaked loud as he opened it.
Inside CVS, it was filled with people, just like the other stores. He saw the fear in them - they looked stressed, weary, filling their carts with whatever left: Ramen, macaroni, jerky, powdered lemonade. Matt immediately walked to the toilet paper aisle.
Nothing. Nothing except for three packs now in the cart of the masked woman and her son. This was the third store. Matt needed that toilet paper. His mom had to have it.
“Excuse me,” Matt said in front of the woman. “Would you mind sparing one of those packs of toilet paper? I really need it.”
The young boy stared up at Matt while his Mom answered.
“Sorry,” she said. “My son and I need these.”
“I do too. It’s for my mom. She has Crohn’s,” Matt pleaded. He placed his palm on the front of her cart.
“I’m sorry, sir. Go to another store.” She pulled the cart away and the boy followed her, eyes open wide.
Matt looked down at his feet. Another woman passed by, staring at him.
Matt and his mother had been using napkins, and they were almost out of those. He followed the woman and her son. They stood in line.
“I’m taking one pack,” Matt said. He pulled a pack from her cart.
“Excuse me, sir!” she yelled. “Give that back.”
The teenage girl behind the counter was paralyzed, unsure of what to do.
“I need one pack,” Matt said. He pulled out a ten-dollar bill and smacked it on the register. “Keep the change,” he said.
Matt walked to the doors. He heard the woman shout to the employee. “You’re gonna let him do that?”
In his car, Matt powered the engine. He quickly pulled out the lot before that boy and his mom exited. He couldn’t see the boy.
At a red light, he saw a message from his mother. Find any, honey?
Matt looked at the pack in the passenger seat. He sighed. A tear almost fell down his cheek. But the light went green.
He kept driving.
Drivin’ round, looking for paper
I’m drivin’ round, lookin’ for toiiilllettt paper
In the two stores he had visited, it was gone. All the shelves for toilet paper and paper towels, empty. He hoped the CVS near Route One would be different. At a light, checked his phone. A new message from Mom: Make sure to distance yourself from others, Matthew. And wear gloves, please.
Matt responded that he would, then he clicked on a new podcast from his favorite political commentator.
So, shit really is hitting the fan, guys. The markets have plunged for the second straight week as this Coronavirus continues to put everyone in a panic. And, it gets worse. The Federal Reserve inserted over a trillion dollars to help revive the market. When it comes to Universal Healthcare, they constantly throw out the “how ya gonna pay for it” shtick. But if their precious market crashes, they instantly throw out a TRILLION to save it – and it didn’t even help! The markets went up for an hour then tanked again.
An incoming phone call interrupted the podcast. It was his old college friend, Kevin.
“Ayo,” Matt said with a smile. He turned right onto Route One.
“Whats up, Corona?” Justin asked. It was his little nickname for Matty ever since he came back from teaching English in China two months ago. It was funny at first.
“Just drivin’ around looking for some shit papers. You know where any are?”
“Nah, I got the last pack at Giant yesterday. Was a shitshow in that place.”
“Bastard,” Matt jokingly said. He sat at a red light.
“Listen, we’re having a little bonfire tonight. Gonna invite the girls. You should show your face, Matty.”
‘We’ referred to Kevin’s two housemates, also from the college days — days that everyone but Matt seemed to be trying to keep alive. All Matt could think about were his friends in Shanghai. That and how his Mom urgently needed some toilet paper.
“Nah, I’m good, man. Gotta call my girl in China.” But they had broken up. They broke up before he left China. But still, sounded better than ‘looking after my Mom.’
“Come on, man, ya girl doesn’t have to know about anything happening over here.” Matt heard Justin say it with that shark grin of his.
“So, you’re not ‘social distancing?’”
“Hah. None of us have the virus, and if even if we get it – we’ll be fine, man. It only kills old people.”
Matt thought of his Mom at home, “I’ll let you know. Talk to you soon.”
“Peace.”
Matt hung up. He thought about it. He hadn’t seen old friends since the first weekend back. But there was a strange feeling around them. Between the Coronavirus jokes or the constant questions about Chinese women, it all made him feel like a goldfish in a minnow pond, as his dad used to say.
Matt glanced at his phone as he parked in front of CVS. He received an email from a recruiter he’d interviewed with: Matthew, thank you for your interest in the Communications Coordinator position for Circa Co. While we found your experience impressive, we have decided to pursue other candidates at this time. Best of luck in your job search. Cathy.
He set the phone down. He sighed. He looked at a woman walking into CVS with her child. She wore a mask and gloves. Her son did too. Matt left China – his friends, his girlfriend too, and for what? A job that fell through? Escaping a virus that followed him anyway?
Matt opened the car door. It creaked loud as he opened it.
Inside CVS, it was filled with people, just like the other stores. He saw the fear in them - they looked stressed, weary, filling their carts with whatever left: Ramen, macaroni, jerky, powdered lemonade. Matt immediately walked to the toilet paper aisle.
Nothing. Nothing except for three packs now in the cart of the masked woman and her son. This was the third store. Matt needed that toilet paper. His mom had to have it.
“Excuse me,” Matt said in front of the woman. “Would you mind sparing one of those packs of toilet paper? I really need it.”
The young boy stared up at Matt while his Mom answered.
“Sorry,” she said. “My son and I need these.”
“I do too. It’s for my mom. She has Crohn’s,” Matt pleaded. He placed his palm on the front of her cart.
“I’m sorry, sir. Go to another store.” She pulled the cart away and the boy followed her, eyes open wide.
Matt looked down at his feet. Another woman passed by, staring at him.
Matt and his mother had been using napkins, and they were almost out of those. He followed the woman and her son. They stood in line.
“I’m taking one pack,” Matt said. He pulled a pack from her cart.
“Excuse me, sir!” she yelled. “Give that back.”
The teenage girl behind the counter was paralyzed, unsure of what to do.
“I need one pack,” Matt said. He pulled out a ten-dollar bill and smacked it on the register. “Keep the change,” he said.
Matt walked to the doors. He heard the woman shout to the employee. “You’re gonna let him do that?”
In his car, Matt powered the engine. He quickly pulled out the lot before that boy and his mom exited. He couldn’t see the boy.
At a red light, he saw a message from his mother. Find any, honey?
Matt looked at the pack in the passenger seat. He sighed. A tear almost fell down his cheek. But the light went green.
He kept driving.
Joseph Corey is a fiction writer whose stories you can find in outlets like Eastern Iowa Review, Sleet Magazine, Eunoia Review, and others. At this very
moment, he is living in Washington D.C. Who knows where he’ll be next? To keep up with Joe, follow him on Instagram: ufojoe13. Or check out his website: http://www.joseph-corey.com/
moment, he is living in Washington D.C. Who knows where he’ll be next? To keep up with Joe, follow him on Instagram: ufojoe13. Or check out his website: http://www.joseph-corey.com/
