Day 12 - Greeting

 GREETING

Prompt - Greeting : Write a story or poem that starts with the word "hello" or other greeting.

"Hello" she said, in a voice tinged with exasperation and defeat.  

I looked at her cautiously, checking that it really was me she was addressing, surprised that it might be.  And wouldn't we all, in these socially distanced times?  I gave her my friendliest "Who - me?" expression.

"Can you tell me how to find Iona Street please?"  

"Of course.  It's been a long time since anyone asked me anything like that.  In fact it's been a long time since I talked to a stranger.  Weird times, eh?"

She nodded.  "People have either avoided me or been so quick giving their instructions that I soon lost track of what they were telling me."

"You've done OK then, you're not far off now."  And I gave her the information she needed, checked she was confident with where she was going now, and said I hoped she'd be careful of the icy patches.  As if she didn't know that already, but the novelty of a street conversation made me overly verbose.  I watched her head off down the hill, and turned back to my own short journey.

Smiling.  I was smiling.  I'd talked to someone somewhere other than home, or in a shop, or through a screen.  The rarity of the exchange added value, transforming it into one of the high points of my samey day, my samey week.  I cope just fine with lockdown, but sometimes there were poignant reminders of what we are missing out on.

2020 will be remembered as much for what didn't happen as what did.  The Festival City left festivalless, the tourist sights left sightless, the jam packed streets unstuck.  My passing stranger had reminded of how many times each summer I would be asked for directions, or might offer them to those looking lost or bewildered.  Such a small part of life, but one that brought contact with people from around the planet and a sense of being of use.  Sometimes it takes the trivial to remind us of the all encompassing nature of the changes we are living through.