COVID19-Fighting (The Devil) in The SOUTH

This time it was different then all the rest. It was felt in the air as prophesied that this time around the devil really came to kill, steal, and destroy. Those ( God is Good All The Time…Won’t He Do It, and Armor On Tight) worldly popular catch phrases weren’t enough this time. Every news station across the country blurred any chance of HOPE of survival or existing, each second of every hour. Death…was being served on a sterling platter at a worldwide all-time high. History showed that MAN conquered many of the most enigmatic plagues throughout the world, so that’s why many people thought in due time a victory would be claimed against this immoral pandemic.

Relatives in the North ( as of sure the East and West ) who really didn’t believe that the devil’s sting wasn’t incorporeal were now in dire need of immediate financial and medical aid. “Who would have ever seen this frightening infectious disease coming or thought of the year 2020 suffering to the magnitude 3.2 million cases in its Q1 and Q2.

Victor Winchester, a local hero and minority business owner sat in the barber’s chair in disbelief as he watched the shocking national news. The disease finally spread to his hometown. Cases grew at a slow rate while the paranoia rocketed throughout the city, county, and region. Winchester was a peculiar name that stood out from many of the popular and wealthy southern family names such as the Golden leafs, Andersons, Wortons, and the Merritts. Therefore, many great introductions and business deals with Victor were made in respect of the thought of his informal southern last name. Business grew in the community of the “River Streets” as well as Victor’s pristine reputation that he guarded with every breath of his life. The well-known serial entrepreneur gave back to the community at any cost and every opportunity he possibly could.

Work weeks were up and down like see-saws for Victor. Although he managed to sustain a balance between the occupation as a college film professor and a local sole proprietor. Excusing himself from class to take a call, the line opened and it was his shop’s manager Elton informing him that a new potential hire came in seeking some employment. Victor told Elton to arrange a face-to-face with the stranger for further examining. The next day Victor and the new potential Dennis had hit if off great, and after several hours of conversing, they’d identified that the two of them had certain ideals and many common interests, and instantly a relationship began to bud. The shop was a massive 12,000 sq ft community stronghold that housed multiple business entities under its roof which sat on the slope hill intersection of the (border of the) “River Streets”. This area was the crossroads to the “Water Streets” closest to the river, and at night time the area was considered “the walking zombie zone” for the many dark night walkers that traveled across the shop’s huge 12 foot glass bay windows.

Nightfall came and the neighborhood metamorphosed into it’s quiet gloomy sanctuary appearing from the inside of the shop looking out into the uninhabited “River Streets”. Every night in this neighborhood was like this, an eerie vibe mixed with fear of the unknown of what you might see walking pass the bay windows. Some nights people would peep through the glass to become surprised by Victor staring right back at them. Immediately, they would pretend as if they were browsing with an act of good faith, positive body language and posture. Victor would always think about the danger surrounding the shop and “would happens” if he weren’t there at night. Weeks passed by and at night time Victor and Dennis began bonding as brothers. Dennis shared his stories from childhood advanced mischievous encounters, uncanny and supernatural experiences, growing pains, and his family’s history growing up in an impoverished city in urban America. These heart-to-heart testimonies became the daily social occasion which started to carry on into the day time work hours at the shop.

The barbershop was a central meeting hub for professionals and the average blue collar family. The shop’s marketing twist was very unique. There was never a stage for profanity, gossip, or even arguments of sports and bets like at every other shop in the town. “River Streets Barbershop” was a quiet atmosphere for true haircut lovers. Patrons walked in and walked out happy being serviced with a smile. Since Dennis was the new kid on the block, Victor didn’t charge him a weekly booth fee, like the rest of the barbers. Therefore Dennis would be able to get on his feet quickly coming in like a severe thunderstorm from East Virginia. Dennis flipped the open/close door sign over to close and began sitting (in his favorite spot) on the shop customer’s futon to catch up on the latest news update on the COVID19 pandemic. Dennis would constantly walk around the shop stating that by being new to the town “River Streets Barbershop” was his first and last choice by way of commuting from East Virginia. He would stress his point that it was “God sent” and “God’s” blessing stowed upon him due to so much turmoil and set back experiences in the South he’s incurred since moving below the Mason-Dixie line from Connecticut.

Victor would notice certain behaviors Dennis would perform that raised several “red flags”. When the two would engage in their daily social occasions Victor would ease into gaps in their conversation highlighting the “red flags” he’s witnessed and expressed a solution to correct the problem at view at hand as well as proceeding to protect his pragmatic community and business’s reputation. Victor agreed to allow Dennis to house himself at the shop until he got on his feet enough to provide for himself. Victor was known for his exceptional economic development spirit and giving back so Dennis was another noble gesture, as well as a to be fit for “River Streets Barbershop”. As COVID19 closed in the clock on the shop’s wall readings went from hours to days at a time. Dennis saturated his days with pessimistic family phone calls from his home state and arguments with a precious past local girlfriend whom he decided to separate himself from in exchange for a residence of solitude and sanity at the shop. A downward spiral took him down deep into the dark enchanted rooms inside of himself. Being the faithful southern “God” fearing Christian man Vincent was he noticed the uncomfortable vibe right away. Delivering mountains of encouragement Victor explained the core of his faith base and beliefs how he received honors from one of the top Christian schools in the nation supporting how he felt he was well equipped to help Dennis reach the light one day at a time, only if he could take a step towards “Christ”.

Panic swept the world and immediately the area became a ghost town. Victor and Dennis were well secured and quarantined inside of the shop; huge glass bay windows. Governor North released an executive order forcing all local small businesses to close which was a heavy blow to Victor, at least that’s how Dennis received it. Two of the three of Victor’s business entities were declining at a super fast rate. The order was in full affect while on the other hand the phone ranged off the hook. Patrons were in rage and filled with concerns of when would they be able to stop in to receive their next haircut. Knowing that barbering was Dennis only means of survival. He was homeless and the shop provided a short stay as “home” for him as well as employment. With the pandemic in full swing Dennis felt as if he became Victor’s dependent and depression settled in.

The businesses became slow and in the same token the bills overflowed like water. The region created several informal COVID19 social media pages instructing small business owners to hastily apply for forgiveness emergency stimulus paycheck packages. Victor just watched the entire big blue world stop in the matter of days. While keeping an open side eye out for Dennis’s candle melting mental health Victor took a deep breath and silently said “We got this God…just like growing up in the 70's and 80's”. Thinking back to when New York City was doomed with a horrific Tri-state power outage that lasted a week long. Each step of the way climbing to success Victor would engage in in-depth theories and debates with his old senile Alabama country relative “Uncle Jimmie”. Who’s was an all American veteran war hero who spoke his mind freely, and had more knowledge in his right pinky then most people had in their entire body. Uncle Jimmie covered any angle or topic a human being could think up.

Sitting on his porch in crisp bib overalls with a face of solid stone, Uncle Jimmie spoke slow in a low tone, “Hey… everything is going to be alright, you hear me? Everyone is panicking out here when we all know the virus is man made!” He would always speak low and ramp up at times and go off on a tangent when he felt deeply patriotic towards his poverty upbringing. “Now people know how it feels to be without or in need. I’ve been through this all my life… no lights or running water in my house…ha ha ha!” Uncle Jimmie hung up the phone leaving Victor right where their last conversation ended; in between a rock and a hard place. Although, Uncle Jimmie riddles were harsh at times, Victor always saw the true meanings behind his words. The message was clear (“Faith”) to be strong and continue to push through the pandemic.

Victor truly appreciated the hiatus the pandemic brought to the region. It gave him plenty of time to organize, become one with God, and visualize the future of his multiple business ventures. Governor North released an executive order and like magic the entire state went into a lock down. People were only allowed to leave their homes for immediate essential needs such as food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. The bond between Dennis and Victor grew as the days passed by. There were many mornings the sun pierced the glass bay windows waking them both up to wonder what the day would unfold. Victor was a family man and taking no chances with the affects of the pandemic he decided to keep his teenage children and woman separated in different homes for safety reasons while Dennis and himself resided at the shop. This was an abroad quarantine-style approach to help curve the virus by all means. Survival was of the fittest and Victor and Dennis would make several frequent visits to stores to purchase a stock of food and water.

The pandemic was something new to mankind. News channels smothered the airwaves and television screens across the world with recurring headlined stories of death. To even think about what the world would be like after the pandemic was farfetched. Plenty of random ideas and thoughts ran threw both of Victor and Dennis’ minds. Early mornings Dennis would be watching the news drowning in sorrow. Sighs and shouts of pain and sadness watching the pandemic infectious statistics rise and all one would hear were several petrified voices of opinions, while Dennis would be trimming and cutting some of the risky patrons hair who snuck in the back door of the River Streets Barbershop. Every new day was a full coveted operation to keep the business afloat meanwhile remaining in code with the governor’s order. Breakfast was served with a brotherly respect amongst Victor and Dennis as both took turns bluffing to be a gourmet chef of a great American cuisine restaurant. Adding hand-me down famous dishes from their family’s core kitchen recipe cookbook.

Victor started to grasp the world’s new way of living, understanding the dawn of the pandemic and how it actually created an opportunity for him to help out his community. God gave Victor a vision and off he went to research his new found cause on the internet. In times of stagnation the entrepreneurial spirit in Victor was always commanding him to create, to produce, and push forward no matter the height of the actualized issue. Business sales were down and when a dollar came in, like a revolving door it went right back out. Victor couldn’t keep a dollar in the palm of us hands. PPP loans and government (welfare) assistant programs advertisements notified every mobile device and social media platform in the nation. Survival was “key”, and Victor feared two outcomes. One was losing his business to the drought of the pandemic and two applying for these government loans and his integrity being placed under a microscope to be accused of fraud. So loans were out, and the line for any monetary assistance feuded with an endless line of angry citizens stretching around the corner of National Savings Bank.

Countless hours of watching television in complete awe as the poll of the pandemic steadily spread from state to state, Dennis began to loose his mind over the latest series of unwanted received phone calls stating 7 out 11 of his siblings died from the vicious respiratory disease. The propaganda throughout the community traveled fast that monetary relief was taking action. Dennis focused in on the bulletin that if one quickly filed 2 years of back taxes they would instantly receive a debit card in the mail with a hefty stipend from the nation’s treasurer. Victor helped Dennis reach out to his past and previous employers from East Virginia and the State Of Connecticut as well as prepared a 1099 form for the work done at the shop to date. Any help Dennis could receive at this point was to be deemed appreciative. Several weeks had passed and Dennis received a vast sum of assorted mail from his family and agencies he applied to for assistance. He opened one letter and jumped for joy. He flicked a pandemic card between his two fingers and said, “Let’s go food shopping!” Off the to the grocery store Dennis and Victor went. Upon exiting the store with shopping baskets of food filled to the rim, Victor instantly noticed damage to the front bumper of his old 03' salvaged station wagon. Thoughts ran through Victor’s mind as he conversed with God on who would’ve done this hideous act. No one was insight. Was it in vain being that Dennis received the P-card? Did Dennis actually need the card or did he lie on his application to obtain the card? Victor thought if anyone needed food assistance more than others, it would be single parent households and the homeless.

A van slowly approached Victor and Dennis and a Latin decent woman said, “I am sorry sir, I am the one who backed into your car. I swear I didn't see it and I couldn't leave the scene without coming back to speak with the owner of this vehicle”. Victor and Sophia exchanged insurance information and off Dennis and Victor went heading back to the shop. Victor looked at Dennis and said, “God is good!” The next day customers were sneaking through the back door for haircuts and Dennis cut hair nonstop. Victor cooked plates and offered the customers free entrees of slow cooked “soul food”. Victor wouldn’t accept payments or tips for the food. He even let Dennis keep all the haircut money and didn’t charge him a booth rental fee. At this point in life Victor looked at the pandemic as a blessing and a curse yet he identified with the blessing side of things. He thought what worse could it get? Rent was not mandatory, food and aid to others were a priority. In the end Victor saw it all would return a good deed of a favor to him, some how, some way. Victor decided enough months have passed and Dennis and his relationship became cemented and trustworthy. So at night Victor would drive off and head out to his country ranch-style abode where his wife and children resided. The normalcy of the pandemic had took its course and Victor began to work on repairing his family’s dynamic and structure knowing the segregated (family) meals would only replace his presence for so long.

Home was were Victor’s heart was and his shop was where his soul was, as he would drive back down to the shop in the middle of the night to check up on Dennis. One night Victor entered the shop and Dennis was sleeping in a dark corner away from the shop security camera’s view. That raised a red flag in Victor’s eyes yet he looked passed it thinking Dennis probably just wanted a better corner of shade to sleep. Several nights Victor would turn the key and quietly push the door forward to see Dennis had disappeared, the door was unlocked. Victor switched his routine back to staying at the shop at night in fear of theft or a break-in due to being done by Dennis or his carelessness. The car wash area of the shop was busy and being that a cleaning business was determined by the governor essential, people started making appointments to have their vehicles cleaned. Dennis appeared to have been missing from the shop for several days and one late afternoon he popped up explaining how he needed a rest from the shop and he was staying at a local motel bathing and grooming himself since the shop didn't have a working shower.

Victor asked Dennis, “Which motel are you staying at? The one I reserved for you when you first came to town?” Remembering, he once checked Dennis into a ran down motel of his choice, adding onto Dennis’ pocket change so he could shower and get a goodnight sleep. The motel was located at the mouth of the entrance to the town and wasn't a hop, skip, and a jump to the “Water Streets” where the shop was located, so Victor gave Dennis a pass and the two washed cars as nightfall began to sit in. Back in the swing of things how it used to be, Victor and Dennis would lay on futons at night and talk about God , family, and after the pandemic.

The mail ran at off times and when it arrived at the shop it was like Christmas gifts had arrived. Dennis would open his attorney mailed letters to read the update on the property battles over his deceased sibling’s estates. Some siblings he hadn't spoke to in decades while his older sister Martha who resided over the legal battle kept him in the loop of the disaster to have a helping hand in the fight. Dennis always spoke of his sibling’s financial and relationship squabbles and how he at 45 yrs old is the youngest of 11 children. Victor would never open Dennis’ mail he would see the top left corner filled up with a law firm’s name and address and look the other way as he handed Dennis the pile of letters. Victor felt depression settling in because his business was at a standstill. Some days the business crawled to generate a few dollars while most the week the business was just a sanctuary. Victor’s family would make frequent visits to the shop to deliver clothes for Dennis while picking up their delicious plates of home cooked food. One visit Victor’s wife Sarah said, “Have you ever thought about selling these plates? It’s worth every penny”. Victor said, “No I haven’t although people have tasted my cooking”.

Victor came up with a better idea to give the food away for free. He thought about the first responders in his community, the firemen, police officers, rescue squads, and even people who sat behind desks at the banks and power companies. Dennis said, “That’s an awesome idea, and I will donate food from my P-card”. Victor’s mind was racing with light as if a major light bulb of “good deed” popped on in his head. Immediately he started grafting a digital flyer announcing that the “River Streets Barbershop” would give away fresh hot cooked plates to the first responders and the community. Dennis been unnoticeable disappearing 2–3 days out of the week while Victor organized the shop for the upcoming pandemic catering. As days winded down Victor was convinced that Dennis was either scared of the upcoming community event being that he recently realized the good reputation Victor held amongst his neighborhood or his heart and mind was not set on doing God’s work.

The day arrived instantly and just like clock work an assembly line of 6ft tables with saran wrap and to-go trays with hot food and condiments flew out the door to lines of EMS workers, firefighters, and police officers. Victor shuttled plates to nearby churches, the power companies, as his children hosted photo opps with plates in hand with the local heroes and government administrators. Social media was full of jingle on this day and history was made. Lastly, Victor’s heart was filled with joy and fulfillment that to loosen up the dark cloud the pandemic hovered over his region giving back was the only way to survive. Dennis disappeared for good and days collected into weeks. He turned into another fable of unreliable workers at the “River Streets Barbershop” as many came and went. Victor would look at his children and just say, “Oh well, he started out good like the rest. We did our part as a Winchester. Let’s say a prayer for him and hope he’s doing okay”.

COVID19 kept on stealing lives throughout the world, as fraud and scam cases became a new fad. Victor called Uncle Jimmie and told him all about the community giveaway event and Uncle Jimmie said, “It feels good don’t it?” and they both laughed closing the line. The city sent Victor an application for a marketing grant and weeks later he was awarded. Victor put the grant to use and jump started his essential car washing business. Two weekends out the month Victor would smoke the finest of barbecue meats, plate them with delicious sides and give them away.

One weekend it was 105 degrees and Victor’s motto was.”If it’s hot in the kitchen, someone still has to cook!” The heat was out of the ordinary this day. No matter how many energy drinks or jugs of alkaline water one drank dehydration killed their spirit. As the line of impatient free food lovers languidly moved in the mid day’s heat, a man in vague over clothing approached Victor. His features were unknown to Victor yet he felt a strong presence of familiarity. The man held out his open sore filled hand and drug tracked arm and said, “It’s me Dennis…It’s me. I couldn’t stay around you knowing all the good you have done for me. Mr. Winchester, you’re a good man. I’m on drugs, been on drugs!” Dennis eyes were steaming red as he grab the plate and never returned to neighborhood.

Victor thought back for a bit still stunned by Dennis’ vivid confession. Victor realized it was the mail. Dennis must’ve received the settlement money from his siblings estate as well as the government funds…that’s why it was so easy for him to donate to some of the food with his P-Card. Victor kept serving the line of hungry on-goers can remained calm and cool now no matter how hot the temperature rose.