Living in coronavirusworld 20: the in between day

4/11

In Central Park

  It’s the in between day. The day when I was a kid that was such a relief because it was the one day of all Easter weekend you didn’t have to be in church, coming on the heels of the three hour “Seven Last Words” ordeal of Good Friday.  ( In my Upper West Side neighborhood service, I was here long enough to have preached every word twice over the years until a new pastor at Rutgers put an end to the tradition.)

I meet my walking  partner in Morningside Park.  I have two masks for her, one a designer mask from my friend Milica and the other a classic from my musician and artist, friend  and fellow Harlemite Mimi Oz who has decided to devote most of her time to the production of simple masks for medical workers and the rest of us.

Mask by Mimi

In return, I get a bottle of  hand sanitizer. At the exit of the park, I’m surprised to see the  weekly green market is still open, fewer stalls, but still there.

The green market

We walk to Central Park and work our way into the inner paths where the beauty of flowers and water and sun is peaceful. 

While I waited for my friend, I noticed a man doing push ups on top of a picnic table. Usually unremarkable. But now  I think, his hands are touching the table. Every push up when he goes down, he breathes on the table. He’s a germ genersting machine. He’ll leave and the next person will come by with no knowledge of what was just there. Or what remains. That’s how we see different now. 

The DOE continues with its craziness. And now Mayor Di Blasio announces that school is cancelled for the rest of the year.  But almost immediately Governor Cuomo, who has come into his own in the crisis, calls him up short and says that this is the mayor’s opinion, there will be no unilateral school closings in this state. Meanwhile  Di Blasio has announced a no tolerance policy related to  churches who might  try to hold services. (We ultimately decide not to even "safely" gather, much to my relief...) While the Brookyln Hassids continue to jam the streets with people for their funerals. Religious arrogance leaves me astounded, regardless of Jew or Christian. Makes me crazy.

Back home, I learn of the death of someone I know personally. At one of my small churches, in Ozone Park, one of the stalwart members has died. Ozone Park Church has a majority of members from the Caribbean Indian subcontinent British empire emigre population. Essentially ethnic Indians from Trinidad and Tobago and a few from Guyana. The section of Ozone Park is home  to many, including their perceived rivals from Pakistani origins. Ralph and Christine and their family have anchored the church for decades as Clerk of Session, treasurer, organist, anything that needs done. One of those couples that are truly intertwined with each other. They both came down with the virus together Went to the hospital together. And now Christine has died. I wonder how Ralph will continue. They have many children and grandchildren. Of course there will be no funeral. Someday in the future a memorial service, you know, when…. I ask the new clerk if there is anything I can do, And there is not. 

I decide to go to Whole Foods as a break from my regular Harlem Best market. On the way there, there’s a man down on 116th. 

Man down

A crowd has gathered, at a distance. A woman is calling 911. A man walks up close, tries to rouse  the man.  He doesn’t move. The other  man checks out his ID. Soon, the familiar sound of sirens, a fire truck arrives. The EMTS go to work. Finally, the man stirs. Eventually works up to a sitting position. An ambulance is called. Is this virus related, or just another typical Harlem casualty?  These days, we just don’t know. 

It’s an avenue wait to get into Harlem’s  Whole Foods.  Like Best, it’s popular prepared foods section is closed down. I get what I need and head home. 

I desperately need food to give me a sense of grounding in reality, even if I will be eating alone. Still missing Passover, I chop apples and walnuts and add spices and wine to make a charoset.  ( A slice of sharp cheddar and charoset on matzoh or pita chips is a good snack.). I peel and slice potatoes to make what my grandma’s cookbook calls buffet potatoes in a nod toward my family’s traditional cheesy potatoes for Easter. I hard boil eggs to color with dye keeping the the tradition. I will color one egg for each of my family and show them tomorrow, even though I’ll have to eat the all myself. I dye them while watching Saturday Night Live, done now on ZOOM, of course.  All the time into kitchen felt good.  I cook like I will be hosting  my family.  If only in my head. Well, and heart.