TUESDAY TALES WORD PROMPT "GREAT"

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week is another episode of "Unforgettable," my pandemic love story. This one isn't as rough as the previous episodes, so no caution needed. 

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On West 78th St., Manhattan

A growl from his stomach reminded him he was beyond starving. Cary opened the door and joined his Aunt in the living room. She had a place laid on the small table by the window overlooking the street. The plate overflowed with pasta covered in an appetizing red sauce. On a smaller plate was a salad. A glass of red wine accompanied the meal. He sat down.

“This looks great. I didn’t have time to eat.”

“I must confess. I got it from Luigi’s Italian Restaurant. I got together with my weekly lunch group today. I felt so bad. Thinking of you, slaving away in the hospital.”

Cary put his fork down. “You what?”

“Met with my lunch group. Oh, they’re safe. We meet every week. And none of them are sick, so I’ll be fine.”

Anger flooded his body. He pushed up from the table. “Really? They’re fine? How the hell do you know? And what about the waiters, and the cook? Are they all fine? Do you know for sure they’re not carriers? And your friends? Didn’t the governor say to stay home? Sue, how could you do something so God damn stupid!”

“No need to swear.”

“I’m just beginning to swear. You’ve risked your life. And you might be carrying the disease here, too. I might get it and have to give up working at the hospital. Can’t you see you might have endangered the lives of a shitload of people?”

Sue’s face crumbled. Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Cary. I didn’t mean to. It was just my friends. We’ve been meeting every week.”

“What about stay home don’t you understand?” he yelled. Anger pulsed through his body.

“You don’t have to get so mad.”

“Obviously I do. You don’t get it Sue. This is so incredibly contagious. You could get it from a handshake or a touch from a friend. And then you touch your face, and –boom! You’re infected. People your age are dying. Dying! Yes, dying! We lose patients every day.” His control broke. Tears flowed down his cheeks, he stormed into his room and slammed the door. After plopping down on the bed, he put his head in his hands and tried to regain self-control. Yelling at Aunt Sue wouldn’t do any good. But he had to get through to her. She had to stay home. She might have dodged a bullet this time, but how much longer could she flaunt the rules and escape the virus?

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