Monday, October 19th, 2020

Our newest worker comes around the corner from the elevator. A crowd of us are standing in the hallway outside of the office. “Has something happened?” It’s the afternoon prayers. We get together every day just before 2 PM. “But we have a conference call at 2 PM!” It’ll work out. “Only for the men, right?” I nod. She heads into the office. Her back is to me, but I can feel her rolling her eyes. A dozen of us gather more quickly than usual. All three of the programmers who had had the virus have returned. Several others who have been working from home are in today. As we wait, one of the workers and one of the guests talk loudly in the back. The boss drowns them out by bellowing the first line of the opening psalm. During the silent prayer, a little girl emerges from the restroom. She runs up the hall, barefoot, then sees us each standing still quietly or bobbing back and forth. She wanders up to several of us and stares, as if she were in a sculpture garden or a grove of murmuring trees. Few others notice her. Our eyes meet. I smile at her through my mask. She smiles back, then runs to the office next to ours. The prayers end quickly. The guests head to the elevators. Most of the rest of us head back into the office for the 2 PM conference call.