When at war, William thought of peace.
When at peace, William thought of war.
Now, caught somewhere in between blasts from the past and the present, William thought of pizza.
I saw the Delivery Driver Wanted sign in the window, he said.
I recognize you, Gina said.
William stiffened.
You live upstairs across the street, she said.
Just me and my bird, William said.
You OK riding a bike?
They say you never forget.
I bought a used delivery bike from the pizzeria down the street that went out of business, Gina said. I’d like to stress keeping our delivery super local.
Real fresh neighborhood pizza, William said.
I don’t want to lose the shop, she said.
The crowd disappeared as fast as the Blessed Mother, he said.
Time to move on, she said.
My bird Dillon says Columbus turned out the light.
Italian power, Gina said.
Christopher Columbus was no hero.
Slave trader, Gina said.
A thief and a murderer, William said.
I don’t support vandalism but I won’t miss the statue, Gina said.
Me, neither, William said.
Let me show you around, Gina said.
I’ll keep my distance, he said.
The story of my life, Gina said.
As for the rest of the small circle of people who share a town and live more or less in close proximity, except for Clancy, Big Bob is on his own. All he can do is try to avenge Betsy’s death from the disease and make an example out of that scum Capt. Jones who lured her away with promises of a condo at the Jersey shore and all-you-can-eat buffets at the casino. That Betsy sure liked to eat.
Buck is coming home from the hospital with a new lease on life, a snitch mission to report whatever he can learn about the coming race war in which his white supremacist buddies plan to participate. The Boogaloo should soon happen. People of color, colored people, according to Buck, will die. And there’s nothing he can do about stopping the racist clash except rat out every white power fanatic he knows. All Buck wants is to move to a nude beach maybe in Texas and join other gay cowboys who just want to buck on broncos until they get too old to ride.
Capt. Jones now rejects the Boogaloo name, calling the day of reckoning Day X.
JayJay Bone announced on the radio that he’s more conservative than ever and that Jesus doesn’t mind that he’s gay because Jesus says everybody has permission to go both ways in heaven.
Sterling’s planning his next act of anarchy, something bigger than a statue.
Chanise doesn’t feel so well.
Darryl bought an AR-15 and a few hundred rounds of ammunition.
Doreen has a date, actually two dates.
Ashley turned around and is heading back to Iowa because the little Piggg misses her mother.
And Dillon’s just cruising, maybe looking for love.
Everybody else who began this fevered journey together is dead.
Except COVID.
COVID’s alive and well, spreading misery throughout the land.