Sunday, January 10th, 2021

Nine of us wait for a tenth man to appear for the afternoon prayers. The boss looks around. “I know it’s been hard for people to get here through the ice and snow.” It’s seventy degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. Lockdown roadblocks had slowed some people coming in to work. Cars were being stopped on the major roads. Most of us have forms showing that we are essential workers. We support hospital computer systems. Of those who have showed up on my side of the office, only one drives to work. The rest of us walk, bike, or take buses or trains. I stand in my usual place, leaning up against a pillar between two windows. The boss looks at me. “You should step into the sun. You are too pale.” OK. I get enough sun when I walk to work. The boss starts off the first prayer slowly. We don’t need the ten men for that one. He takes his time, enunciating each word rather than plowing through in the usual high-speed murmur. A tenth man shows up just as the boss gets to the end. He takes a spot near the office door. I don’t know if he’s actually praying, but his attentive presence is enough.