On the Fifth Floor…

In Apartment 501, Phyllis was hunched over her laptop, studying a graph as intricate as a spiderweb, tiny intersecting lines representing death rates and confirmed cases from around the world. “There’s hopeful news from Estonia,” reported the steadfast statistician, ever-eager to find a bright spot in the gray clouds of the pandemic.

“That’s nice,” said Maxie, who was visiting from downstairs. She sat the required six feet away on Phyllis’s bed, her second cup of coffee on the bedside table, her nimble thumbs flying busily as she texted her friend Stella. “But what’s the news closer to home?”

Down the hall in apartment 502, Kay played “Sophisticated Lady” on her clarinet. She had the one-bedroom apartment to herself; her landlady-girlfriend was off somewhere in the building doing maintenance, or maybe building a chicken coop in the backyard. Kay wasn’t sure; she’d been watching a YouTube video on embouchure when Dolly announced her plans over breakfast. Now she lipped her reed, trying to remember the YouTube teacher’s instructions. Do I sound any different? She took a breath and blew the next phrase, And in this heart of yours burned a flame…the mournful notes drifted through the Arms. 

In 501 Maxie’s phone rang. “What?” said Maxie, “Who? Oh Lois. Sorry, Kay’s practicing and I couldn’t hear you.” 

Across Town…

“I’m thinking of signing up for one of those open courses, which do you think would be better, World Philosophy or The Films of Ingmar Bergman? No, work has practically come to a halt. Most of Sather & Stirlings’ clients have suspended their ad campaigns, except for a few soap and pharmaceutical accounts. And now that the staff is set up to work remotely…well, I’ve pretty much checked all the items on my to-do list…”

Lois stood in the kitchen of the apartment she shared with Pamela, her phone to her ear. The dishes were done, the floor had been waxed and polished, and she had completed the annual spring cleaning of her personal files two weeks ahead of schedule. “I have nothing to do,” she said forlornly. 

“Look Lois, there’s no percentage in turning the pandemic into some marathon self-improvement binge!” Maxie’s tinny voice instructed. “Why don’t you and Pamela just relax and have fun for a bit? You both could use a vacation!”

Lois glanced towards the bedroom door at the far end of the hallway. It was still closed. Her eyes travelled to the stove, where the scrambled eggs and bacon she’d left warming in the oven were probably beginning to shrivel. “Have fun, that’s a thought,” Lois hoped Maxie wouldn’t notice that her cheeriness was a trifle forced. “Actually, Pamela’s been using this—this opportunity to catch up on her rest.”

At Bay City General Hospital

Beverly zipped up the personal protective suit she’d pulled on over her scrubs, tucked a hair cover over her short afro, topped the ensemble off with a splash guard and added a pair of blue gloves. She hummed as she prepared for another shift: Smoking, drinking, never thinking of tomorrow… Now what had put that in her head?

Another nurse entered the locker room, pulling off her snug-fitting mask, which left a sweat-stained circle around her mouth. “Oh, sorry!” she said, seeing Beverly. 

“I’m just going—how many new?”

The other nurse pulled her mask back on. “No official count yet, but probably four.”  She turned to her locker. “Just let me grab my duds, then it’s a shower and home to hubby—much good he does me, since we’re sleeping separately.” She exited to the shower room, calling back, “You’re lucky your single!”

Hmph, thought Beverly.

On the Fourth Floor…

Lon heard the clarinet as she panted her way through a series of push-ups, in Maxie’s lavish loft. Everyone called it “Maxie’s” even though Lon had lived there, on and off, since the renovation.

Six years ago, when Dolly had embarked on the big overhaul of the Magdalena Arms, turning the single rooms and communal bathrooms into small studios and one-bedroom apartments, Maxie had taken over the entire fourth floor. She claimed she needed room for her many enterprises, and her extravagant renovation dwarfed all of the apartment conversions put together. 

Now french doors opened out onto the narrow balcony that overlooked the tiny back garden (Dolly had refused to let Maxie put one in front). windows ran the length of the rest of the rear wall, flooding the space with light. Sunlight sparkled on the rarely used chromium fixtures in the kitchen, and gleamed on the shelves of Brazilian mahogany, displaying the paperbacks put out by Fifth Floor Editions, Maxie’s publishing company. The built in hi-fi, the piles of rugs, the silk draperies around Maxie’s bed—privately Lon thought it was a bit much. The only truly essential parts of Maxie’s showplace were the couch, cocktail cart, and telephone. Eight times out of nine you could find Maxie comfortably ensconced in the corner of the L-shaped couch, feet up, a tray on the glass-topped coffee table, phone to her ear, as she spun some new scheme.

When she was in town, that is. It was purest chance that she’d flown back to Bay City from Switzerland just as the shut down began. Lon had been relieved to see her walk in the door unannounced, scarcely days before the first confinement order was issued.

But now…

“Is that all you really want?” Lon sang between gasps as she performed a second repetition of pushups. She was in the small room she’d insisted on, her only contribution to the redesign. “I need privacy if you don’t,” she’d told Maxie.

Now she wondered if this room would be enough.

On the Third Floor…

Below, in apartment 301, Laura did not hear the clarinet. She was on a conference call with her noise-canceling headphones covering her ears. “I think we should anticipate pushback from the union if we move forward with the disaster service worker call-up,” the civil service servant said. “There will surely be questions about PPE.” She listened and sighed. “Yes, I know.”

Down the hall in 302, Sylvia and Terry were sitting in the kitchen. Terry was making a grocery list. “How about bread?” she asked. “Should I get some more?”

Sylvia was smoking and reading The Bay City Sentinel on her iPad. “Honey, we have five loaves in the freezer.”

“But we have another mouth to feed,” Terry protested. Two weeks ago Sylvia’s daughter Patricia had come home from her sophomore year of college.

“Patsy’s gluten-free now,” said Sylvia. 

“She is?” Terry brightened. “I better track down some gluten-free bread.” The pint-sized butch sprang up and hurried over to the living room door, which was closed. She and Sylvia had turned that room over to Patricia when she returned home, agreeing that the college girl would need her own space. 

Now Terry knocked and called, “Patsy honey? Do you have a brand of gluten-free bread you like? I’m doing some shopping today!”

After a short delay the muffled reply arrived: “I don’t care!”

“Are you sure? What about rice, are you okay with the white rice or should I get some brown?”

“I don’t care! I’m trying to do class!”

Terry sat back down at the table and frowned at her list. “I think I’ll try to get her some brown rice.”

On the Second Floor…

The music was just a faint echo on the second floor, which was three-quarters empty. If Ramona had been home in apartment 202, which she shared with Jackie, she might have shouted “Turn up the volume baby! Swing it!” But Ramona was at the cannabis dispensary she managed and she’d taken Jackie with her. “You might as well come along since your show’s closed,” she’d said. “We’re busier than ever and could use the help.”

Apartment 201 was empty as well. Angelo had always been proud of his tiny, exquisitely decorated studio, but now he found it oppressive. the unemployed coiffeur preferred to putter in his empty salon

Apartment 203’s occupant was still asleep, curled into a little ball. She’d found a job in Bay City, moved into a new apartment, lost her job and been confined to the new apartment all in the space of a month.

On the First Floor…

Angelo was swiveling back and forth in one of the “Angel’s Hair” salon chairs, filing his nails and brooding. His thoughts followed a familiar pattern: How is hairdressing not an essential business? It’s necessary for morale! I have masks. I have hand sanitizer. Hairdressers know all about sanitation—everyone knows one case of lice can kill a business. We’re used to dealing with germs and vermin!

Across from the salon, On the other side of the grand hallway with its chandelier and mosaic tiling, Mrs. DeWitt’s apartment was empty. The last echo of music died out in the dim room, crowded with old-fashioned, over-stuffed furniture, silver-framed photos, piles of scrapbooks, magazines, newspaper clippings, theater programs, the paraphernalia of a long and varied life. No one had had the heart to start sorting and cleaning. “She was old and frail,” Beverly had reminded them. “It was bound to happen, even without the virus.” 

In the Sub-basement Storeroom…

Down in the sub-basement, underneath the old-fashioned, rarely used kitchen, Dolly was working up a sweat. She’d cleared all the remaining storeroom detritus to one side and was prying off the molding that ran around the room, midway up the wall.

“Come on,” she whispered, working her pry bar from side to side. The wood inched outward, shrieking on the ancient nails. She wedged a second pry bar foot down the length of board and gave both a simultaneous wrench. The molding splintered and a four foot length fell to the ground, taking a chunk of plaster with it.

Dolly, who had jumped back, looked at the wreckage and pursed her lips. She’d hoped to get the length of moulding off in one piece. But still, “Progress!” she told herself. 

Next: Pamela Has the Blues

Pamela Prendergast, former doyenne of dressing at a now shuttered department store, has been reduced to pajamas and bedhead! Whether sleeping until noon or sipping beer in front of the news, Pam is a shattered wreck of her former take-charge self. How can her concerned girlfriend snap her out of this catastrophic Covid-induced depression??

Tune in every Friday, for a new episode! (at least until the author’s work situation changes)