Eli buckled, grabbed his throat and grimaced at the pain of what felt like an army of ants invading his lungs, gnawing at every air sac they could find. He retched into his stained handkerchief, covering it with sputum. When the fit passed, he slid it into his back pocket and simultaneously retrieved his phone.
He swiped his security pattern and Jennifer’s face appeared, frozen mid-laugh. Eli’s heart sank. He was forgetting the details of that moment with each passing day and the empty space was filling with resentful anger.
The bring-ring of a delivery messenger’s bike invaded his nostalgia. He shot the rider an unnoticed, hateful glance before turning back to the screen and lovingly running his snot-sticky finger across her face mumbling, “Day’s almost done.”
From down the street, a tsunami stench of Peking duck suddenly hit Eli full face, knocking him back with a noxious wave.
He reeled but sweet relief arrived soon after as a young couple rounded the corner with their child in tow. Eli manufactured a welcoming smile.
The woman read his table sign, quizzically exchanged words in Chinese with her husband, then spoke to Eli, “This is a good thing you’re doing.”
Surprised by her perfect English, he answered, “I…just want to do my part.”
The husband pulled $20 from his pocket and handed it to Eli, who responded, “For my first customers, children’s free!”
They applauded while he clandestinely reached behind his back and let his finger slide inside his snot-riddled handkerchief before leaning under the table and opening the box of N95 masks. He dabbed a thin film of mucous along the inside of the childs’ first before raising his head triumphant and presenting the family with their purchase, particularly proud to fill the waiting hands of the 9-year-old.
His mother took the straps, placed them around the boy’s ears, then set about adjusting her and her husband’s. The boy, mirroring her, made changes to his own ’til it was a perfect match. Beaming, he mumbled, “Thank you!” as the family waved and walked away.
A moment of doubt arose in Eli. But looking at Jennifer’s face he yelled back, “Tell your friends!”