Friday, March 5th, 2021

I hear music booming in the distance as I approach the city square. When I round the bend past the cafe, I see a DJ setup with massive speakers. It’s standing alone on the traffic island that I cross to the square itself. No one is near it. No one appears to be in charge. The music does a skillful segue between songs. It may be a prerecorded playlist. Someone may be mixing remotely. I don’t hear an announcer. The square and the main street are mobbed. The whole city seems to be shopping and hanging out there. The weather is perfect. Some of us are wearing sweatshirts. Many people are not. It isn’t raining. I make my usual stops in the supermarket and the bakery. I get a sabich in the shop a few doors down. Most of the tables in the square are taken. I find one near where I usually sit, a little further from the Friday backgammon players. I eat my lunch there. When I’m done, I get an espresso at the cafe. I stand and drink it off to the side. The music is still booming, with no one guarding it. In other cities where I’ve lived, the setup might have been stolen or smashed by now. As I throw my espresso cup away, I realize that I’ve forgotten one purchase. My imperious cleaning person should finally appear tomorrow after several lockdown delays. She has commanded me to get more floor cleaner. Yes, Ma’am. I stop into the tiny supermarket across from the cafe and get it. On my way home, three young men walking in front of me stop, put their packages down, climb a wall, and pick kumquats from a tree in someone’s yard. Apparently, the kumquats are delicious. Some fall to the ground. The cats enjoy them, too.