Thread by @gradydoctor

1/
#FriendshipintheTimeofCOVID:

Them: “I was scared to go to the hospital. . but I couldn’t breathe.”
Me: “You did the right thing.”
Them: “I didn’t want to go, though. . . been watching too much news and reading too much, man.”
Me: “Yeah.”

*silence*

2/
Them: “Hey--you ever heard of The Door of No Return in West Africa?”
Me: “I . . . have.”
Them: “It’s weird. I was walking into the ER feeling like I was going through that tunnel. Like I might never come back.”

*silence*

Me: "Damn."
Them: “Heavy, right?”

3/
Them: “Like this wave of panic hit me when they sent my family home.”
Me: “Damn.”
Them: “But I couldn’t breathe. So I know I needed to stay.”

*silence*

I hated the thought of my friend feeling that way. Feeling even a shred of that kind of terror.

But I got it. I did.

4/
Them: “I always wondered if the slaves walking through that tunnel knew how bad it was about to get.”
Me: “I don’t think it’s possible for them to have known just how bad it could get until they got on that ship.”

Shit.

I winced and immediately wished I hadn’t said that.

5/
Me: “That was a dumb thing to say. I’m sorry.”
Them: “It’s okay.”

*silence*

Them: “But I guess the flip side is that I know I come from a resilient people.”
Me: “You do. We do.”
Them: “People survive sometimes.”
Me: “People survive a lot of times.”

6/
Me: “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
Them: “I’m glad, too.”
Me: "Put your oxygen back on."
Them: "Oh shoot. Forgot this was FaceTime."

*laughter*

Them: “Hey--you know I love you, don’t you?”
Me: “I do.”

*silence*

I do.

Shit just got real.

#NarrativeintheTimeofCOVID