Drop and Run

“Man can live by mangoes alone,” is what I told Maxine after I devoured one of the humongous mangoes she left with a bag of groceries at my door.  Maxine became my drop and run angel the day I became ill.

Cousin Maxine and I bonded over my stewed peas.  She loves it.  I always have to leave a special portion to the side for her when I cook it for family functions.  But she and I really really bonded when we planned the first Jamaican flag raising in the City of White Plains, August 2019.  I saw Maxine’s skills at the time.  I saw her persistence and consistency.  

On the afternoon of Sunday, March 15^th Maxine called to say she was going to Costco and what did I need.  I told her water.  I had everything else, including food.  Lots of food.  For the past three years on Easter Saturday, I host a brunch at my home where 25-35 gather.  I had already begun my shopping for this year, so I had a freezer and pantry full of food.   Maxine said she would drop the water off to me.  Shortly after speaking with her I, myself, left to go to the supermarket to see if they had items that Maxine could not find at Costco.  Maxine said she would meet me there. 

Two weeks earlier I had discovered that particular supermarket by chance.  I am an avocado addict.  I have it every morning with my protein shake, so when I saw an ad in the supermarket's circular for avocados for 49 cents each, I knew I had to get some.  I had never shopped there and didn’t know where it was.  My GPS took me to the address.  When I arrived, I wondered why there were so few cars in the parking lot.  Inside the supermarket, there were only three people shopping.  It hit me then that I was in the containment section of New Rochelle, the epicenter (at the time) of the Corona Virus.  I asked a store clerk and he confirmed it.  I didn’t run.  I shopped.  Stupid you say.  No, I thought, because by now everything about this area was sanitized, even the outside air.  That explained why my eyes burned when I got out of my car.

This is where I ended up on Sunday, March 15^th and where Maxine met me.  We shopped together, but mostly down different aisles and we paid at separate cashiers.  After shopping,  Maxine transferred the water to my car. As fate would have it, I did not pay her for the water. We never touched each other.  I worried about her when I became ill. I informed her at 10:08 am on Monday, March 16th that I had a fever.  It didn’t faze her.  She got into her jump in and help mode.  

“What do you need?  I am going to CVS.” She picked up my prescription, bought Tylenol, Pepto Bismal and Gas X. “I am at the supermarket, what do you want?”  Crackers, I said, but along with the crackers, came oranges, grapes, banana and soup.  “I am at Royal Caribbean, what do you want?” Nothing.  But at my door were bags with coconut water, hard dough bread, bun and soup.  “I am at BJ’s send me a list.” I didn’t need anything, but she left me frozen beef patties, tuna, avocado, spinach, oranges.  

Maxine even contacted the testing site, this being the third time (my daughter and I had called previously).  When no one returned the calls, she came to get me one afternoon and we drove separately, she behind me to make sure I was safe, back and forth to the testing site.  

I knew Maxine was kind, but I didn't know her heart was that huge.  I owe her much more than thanks, than gifts.  Nothing I can ever do in this lifeime can repay her.   Except for stewed peas, of course.

Even now, she still calls to see if I want anything.  Mango, Maxine, mango.



After surviving COVID-19, I started to write, giving birth to The Corona Chronicles, my daily thoughts and musings.  I find writing therapeutic. It's my personal journey through COVID-19.  It will give insight into the suffering, but also the goodness of people.  Heather's Dawning is made up of my first (Heather) and pet (Dawn) names. It's my awakening.  Covid-19 may have knocked me down, but it also awakened my creativity.