“Take 20” she said
“For each card” No charges or late fees.
I ransacked the shelves
There were some gaps
No Harry or Hermione to be found
But still plenty of sustenance.
She wore gloves
So did I
Stupid, I felt.
Unnecessary, I hoped.
But still. We kept our distance.
She barked some suggestions
I ate up her wisdom
And took an armful
Of imagined worlds far away
And lives that now seemed
More normal than ours.
Desperate to give my children
A place to escape to
While their real worlds shrank
To the size of our four walls.
I left – backpack filled
Two shoppers spilling over.
At home I read the news:
From 1pm all libraries would close
I looked at my haul – more valuable to me than
Toilet roll or pasta.
I hoped it would be enough.
3/4/2020
……….
A journalist for 10 years, Fran now works in marketing and PR in the education sector and writes as much as she can. Some older stories can be found here.