It was quiet and we walked in the shade most of the way, listening to birds sing and admiring flowers in secret alleys that Arlan is familiar with.
At MacabiPharm, Arlan picked up medications for Jude and I picked up something for Diana. Unfortunately, the pharmacy did not have my prescription in stock. The pharmacist told me to go to SuperPharm; she didn't know whether or not SuperPharm would have access to my doctor's order.
Arlan and I got bottled drinks rather than icecafes at the makolet across from Stock. It was nice to see familiar faces there.
Arlan waited outside while I went into SuperPharm. Someone waiting outside the door tested my temperature before letting me in. (How does that device work-- while pointed at my forehead, it seemed to generate heat.)
There were two pharmacists serving customers when I first arrived. Then the second one started helping the first. Before I started checking the time, they had already spent an extraordinary amount of time going through the drawers to find prescriptions for one woman in a wheel chair. (Some of the drawers were more than six feet off the floor and they couldn't see into them.)
Meanwhile, the crowd that was gathered near the pharmacy grew and grew and grew. It was bloody hazardous. I stood farther away, but the crowd kept growing. One person tried to speak to the second pharmacist, but she ignored her. It had been twenty minutes since I first checked my watch and the two workers didn't show any sign of being ready to ring up the customer's order.
It was frustrating and frightening. Finally, I gave my number to a woman with a cane and left.
(I have over a week of medication left and someone on English Speakers in Eilat said that the small, private pharmacy will definitely have my records.)
We saw a homeless woman sitting on the street as we walked up toward Diana's house. I pulled out my wallet and she jumped up, smiling and talkative. I think she was as glad of human contact as of the money. She complimented my looks and I felt flattered even though I knew better. I can't imagine how hard it must be to be homeless, especially during a pandemic.
As we passed the parking lot in front of the Thai restaurant (which was open to make deliveries), Arlan suggested we stop in the Rav Kav office. Unexpectedly, a man sitting outside the building asked me, "Rav Kav?" and opened the door for me.
I explained that had used the phone app to put money on my RavKav card last week, but the credit didn't show up when I got on the bus. (I got two free bus rides last week.) My Hebrew wasn't up to the task of understanding him, so I had to call Arlan in for assistance. He was saying that I had not been charged. The man wasn't taking cash, but luckily the machine accepted my American credit card.
Arlan and I walked to Diana's so I could give deliver her Macabi Pharm purchases. A couple weeks ago, Diana had told me that the roof of her mirpeset had been badly damaged in the Friday the 13th storm, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw! She must have been terrified during that storm, which lasted a good 12 hours.
Arlan waited downstairs while I climbed the pitch black stairwell to her apartment. She also needed food from the makolet. I reminded her that people over 60 aren't supposed to go out at all, and picked up the things on her list while Arlan chatted with a friend on his Apple Watch.
(BTW, I have not reminded Arlan of the recommendations for people over 60. I'm sure he knows. but the restrictions nearly drove him batty at first. So I will just have to trust him to be careful while he also maintains his sanity.)
Diana is doing well. She's cheery and looks healthy. She already has a routine of studying and spending an hour a day on the mirpeset reading, so she is doing better with lock-down than many people. I didn't go inside, but while we talked, her cat Neo kept trying to come out, which was surprising because he's usually shy of me.
As Arlan and I walked up to our neighborhoods, we stopped in various spots on the way to sit in a bit of shade. It was a warm day and a long slog uphill. I missed the busses! People are eager to socialize; one man commented that I was "flying" up the hill as Arlan trailed behind. (Most people walk slowly uphill; I hate it so much that I go fast just to get it over with.)
When we stopped in a makolet for cold drinks, Arlan found something else Jude needed, disposable gloves, which they hadn't had at Macabi Pharm.
While sitting on a shady wall, we heard cat's yelling at each other. We couldn't figure out what was going on and watched them for a long time. We never decided if it was a game or bullying or some sort of feline court room scene. They dispersed suddenly, for no reason we could discern.
Jude was home (we had thought she might have a dialysis appointment today) so I finally got to see her place, the outside at least. It's beautiful, on a private street, gorgeous yard with flowers and paving and seats. I didn't know Israeli homes could be so well maintained and attractive.
It was nice to see her looking so great! She always has fabulous gray wigs and really unusual jewelry, but she was glowing with health and happiness. I was so happy to see her looking strong and vigorous.
She had broken her foot a few days before Bassia's funeral. (I don't remember the date... It was Daf Yomi Breisheet 13.) For several days now, she has been out of the wheelchair and moving around with a walker! She was full of energy and joy. And very glad to have visitors.
She came out to stand in the sun with us. While we were chattering away about volunteers who have been calling her and Arlan, she suddenly gasped. I turned and saw a policeman striding right past us. Yikes!
He hadn't said anything to us and seemed to be on some other mission. Then a car with flashing lights navigated the narrow street.
Time to leave!
"Bye-by, Jude. Come on, Arlan. Hurry up!"
We were actually close to home at this point. Arlan and I parted a few minutes later; he headed home and I visited the store for food before "climbing" Canada Gardens to my place.
Back home, I "ungloved" and put my groceries away.
I responsibly entered all my recent transactions into my spreadsheet and then collapsed in my chair to watch episodes of Barney Miller and eat a huge lunch and drink a large can of beer.
Before the nap (necessitated by said lunch and beer), Alessandra texted the "Levannah, Scottish Kitty" group, consisting of her, me, Arlan, and Tan, to show us a picture of Prupru, a stray cat she managed to take to the vet just eight hours before the strict lockdown was declared. Baruch HaShem!!! (Bless God.)
Prupru (Prudence) is one of the stays in my old neighborhood. Alessandra named her Prupru in hopes of giving her some prudence; she got in a fight with a car a few years ago and her shoulder is way out of joint.
Recently Prupru became really skinny and wouldn't eat even the wet food Alessandra brought her. On Wednesday, the vet gave her medicine that helped immediately. She looks so much better than she did before. Alessandra has been taking care of her for several days now. But Prupru is an outdoor cat... so she managed to squeeze out a screened window and down to the ground from the fourth floor (that's the fifth floor, to Americans).
Alessandra had to capture her again and is keeping her inside. Apparently she is getting along well with the two dogs, Maggie and Mocha. Mom is slightly less thrilled.
After some more aimless activity this afternoon, I took a short nap and woke up to find a message from Damien, a manager from The Dan hotel where I worked before it closed because of the pandemic.
At 3:06, he had texted the Pool Team asking us to pick up envelopes at ShuperSol (the grocery store over by Macabi Pharm) at 4 p.m. I'd slept through the message and appointment.
He told me to come to his home tomorrow to get it. I know where he lives because I had to pick up unemployment paperwork from him last week and it's definitely not within 100 meters of my place. I texted John and learned the contents of the check are a Passover bonus. I may wait until the lock-down is over to pick it up. I'm not sure which frightens me more: the virus or the possibility of being arrested.
This evening, the cats came running to me. They learn fast. I already have names for a few: Rishona (the first one who came near me), Gingi (who, obviously, is orange), and Bobby E. Lee (because she's gray).
Later, I spent quite some time texting with Tan's best buddy, Yossi, who is in lockdown in Columbia. I updated him on the storm, my move, the barricading of the city, and the closure of the hotel. He told me about his new davening routine, his family in the States, and Chabad's impending Pesach deliveries. Then he mentioned an emergency flight out of Columbia to Atlanta tomorrow.
I immediately texted Jessica, but she was already aware of the flight. Her daughter, Sharon, is probably going to stay put with her host family there.
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