温心小屋
以文养心。原创文学，请勿抄袭,如需转载，请告知。谢谢
Yesterday was the first school day for a handful of CT schools, yesterday was also the day my son got the 2nd vaccine shot.
The shot appointment was set up at 9:45am, which I knew it would be too early for him since he didn’t go to bed until 5:30 in the morning. But he got up without complain. After brushing his teeth, washing his face, dressing up neatly, he swayed to the car. His dropped eyelid exposed his tiredness from lack of sleep.
It’s the 3rd time I walked into town Walgreen. This store was spacious, bright and being layout nicely. I have to say I enjoy the environment here than I do in town CVS, which is closer to me. I always feel I live in a remoted small town, but there are some areas and stores I never visited, I guess this case happens to quite amount of people. Ignorance is common for people. Sometimes we ignore places we can access to easily, but rather go to other places less attractive and harder to get to.
The black girl who gave my son the 1st shot was busy on a drive-through customer. I stood in front of the counter, waiting for her. When she walked to the shelves, she gave me a glance of greeting, respect and kindness. With white KN95 mask on, I couldn’t see her entire face. But I have already pictured her entire face from last time. That’s a face not beautiful, but make people feel comfortable and reliable. In the same spot as last time, stood the white-haired senior male doctor whom I talked with last time. Trust has been established since our last visit.
I handed over the small-sized vaccine card, on which my son’s basic personal information and his 1st shot information was scratched with blue ink from a ball pen. This time, I noticed on her left chest, a navy blue tag pinning in the blue uniform, on which“COVID-19 hero with red color, Certified immunizer, xxxx with white color” being embossed. Thinking about the widespread fear for covid-19 virus, they are indeed heroes! so do other essencial business workers.
After having something typed into computer, she let me wait for a form which need to be fill up before vaccination. There were three chairs along the wall, we sat down to wait.
“I am here to get my booster shot.” A senior white woman told the pharmacist.
I was surprised. I heard the existence of the booster shot, but I didn’t know it’s already available now even I am not sure if I would like to get it some day. I may wait, just like what I have done for the 2 shots.
A familiar body appeared in front of the counter. That’s her, Susan, my friend who is twenty years older than me. I stood up and stepped to her.
I pat her butt gently and fondly with my hat. ”Hi Susan!”
“Hi, xxx. Why are you here?”
“I am here for my son’s 2nd vaccine shot. “
“Oh, where is he? How old is he?”
She turned around, their eyes met, both smiled.
“pull down your mask, let me see your face.”
He pulled his mask down to his chin, exposing her a young adult face with shy smile.
“He looks like you.” 你儿子像你。
I was happy to hear this.
She sat next to me, then we started chatting….
She said her daughter-in-law take extreme precaution against covid-19. We both think her reaction is way too much, somehow crazy. the last time Susan saw her grandchildren was a month ago, they all stood outside beside the pool. She touched her son’s hairs, her son receded abruptly and said “mom, please, please, you know Jane…” . I guess he means Jane will give him hard time.”she sighed. I could tell she was kind of sad.
“Then the school will reopen next week, what will she do for her three kids?”
“Based on her reactions, there is no way for her to send the kids to school, no way…this summer, she went to grocery store, that was the first and only time she went to grocery school during the pandemic, she kept saying “ it’s too dangerous, too dangerous...”
”那孩子学习怎么办？“
”她本来就不上班，我儿子过去一年多也一直在家办公。他们就自己教孩子喽。我给三个孩子拍照，最小的要跑过来拉我的手，被他妈妈抓住了脚踝。享利以前不是这样的，是受JANE的影响才变的。我的另一个儿了威廉不一样，他比较信生死由命，和我一样，过得轻松。“
那次我对她：“简，你这样对孩子不好。”
接下来，她说她住在这附近已经二十几年了。这里曾经是一片树林，这些商业设施都是近十几年内逐步建成的。我给她看了我前不久去纽约玩的照片。她看着WORLD TRADE CENTER, 911纪念馆，在原双子塔处修建的纪念碑，黑色花钢石上刻满的名字。她说她很久没去纽约了，而她曾经住在纽约的皇后区。她是意大利移民，家乡在西西里岛。我想当年她和她的移民家庭也经历了类似中国早期的移民家庭所经历的艰难，通过奋斗，走向成功，融入主流。
我一年前还问她是否回去过她意大利的家乡。她说2017年回去过，不过都变了样。岛上建了很多的楼宇，楼宇挡住了人们望海的视野。从她的谈吐和衣着，我看得出她是个很文艺的人，尽管她已年近70。她很注意饮食健康，也注意保持体型，我和她最初见面就是在公园走路时。苏珊的皮肤白晰，没什么皱纹和斑点，五官也立体精致。见她的整体状态还是挺迷人的，我曾经不止一次对她说“去找个男朋友吧，你还很有媚力呢”。她听了，只管笑。我猜她心里也想，只是没有遇到那么一个人。一对双方都能看对眼的人相遇，是需要机缘的。
而昨天，有些地方还有人就州长颁布的上学戴口罩的临时令进行游行抗议。人们对疫情的反应是如此的悬殊，无奈却都住在同一个星球上。看来要想人人满意，只能是各人划块地盘，个过个的日子。
早上新发现的一处向日葵园，把照片发给邻居ANNA， 并约好明天带她来赏花。
少年们在青草地上奔跑踢球，中年的我在树叉间看他们，也看书，
