Thread by @gradydoctor

1/
#AmazingGrady

The Visitor

Her: "Girl, she snuck up on me."
Me: "Who?"
Her: "Honey, Miss Delta! Girl, I will be the first one telling folks that she ain't to be played with."

*laughter*

Me: "That's hilarious."
Her: "Shiiiit. It's hilarious NOW."
Me: *nodding*

2/
Her: "You know I had #COVID back in April of '20 when everybody was getting it."
Me: "Oh wow. Did you get pretty sick?"
Her: "Sick enough to be in my bed for a few days. But mostly it was just inconvenient for everybody that live with me, you know?"
Me: *listening*

3/
Her: "Folk don't talk enough about that part. The way she bust a groove in all your plans even if you don't get real sick."
Me: "Yeah."

*silence*

Me: "So. . . . I'm surprised after all that you weren't first in line to get vaccinated."
Her: *shrugs*

4/
Her: "I'mma be honest. I ain't never been big on shots. So once I had it, I was like, 'Shiid, how is this any different than chicken pox?'"
Me: *listening*
Her: "Like, I wasn't all majorly against it. But I didn't see the point, you know?"
Me: "I can see how you'd think that."

5/
Her: "I told myself, 'A antibody against a spike protein ain't got nothing on a antibody against the whole damn virus.' So I decided to pass."
Me: "Did anybody ever explain to you that you still needed a vaccine?"
Her: *laughter* "Girl, yeah. It just made no sense to me."

6/
Her: "Until Miss Delta came over unannounced."

*laughter*

Me: *shaking head* "Not 'Miss Delta.'"
Her: "Baybaaaaay. Miss Delta don't care nothing 'bout you, your plans, or whether your ass already had #COVID. She said she ain't got nothing to do with all that."

*laughter*

7/
Her: "I shit you not. I was standing in my kitchen making some potato salad for this cookout at my daughter's house. Blasting some Isley Brothers on my radio and sipping on a little something, too."
Me: *listening with amusement*
Her: "Then--out the blue--it happened."

8/
Me: "What's that?"
Her: "My doorbell rang. And since I wasn't expecting nobody, you know I was like, 'Who TF coming over my house that I ain't invite?' Girl, you know Black folks don't play that!"

*laughter*

Her: "So I wipe off my hands to go see who gon' get cussed out."

9/
Her: "Honey, I get to that door and there she was! Miss Delta, chile. Looking all up in my house!"
Me: "Wait. She rang your doorbell?"
Her: "Girl! Sholl did. Talkin' 'bout, 'Hey girl. What you 'bout to do?'"

*laughter*

Her: *shrugs* "I said, 'Bout to go to this cookout.'"

10/
Her: "Honey, Miss Delta was like, 'No ma'am you ain't neither.'"

I was out of breath from laughing now. But that just egged her on.

Her: "So I tells her, 'Listen. You got the wrong house, sis. You already came over here last April.' And, honey, Miss Delta just laughed!"

11/
Her: "She said, 'Nawww, baby. That was my cousin. This is the remix.' Then she just stepped her ass right on around me and came on in my house."
Me: *laughing* "Why you ain't close the door on her?"
Her: "Shiiiiid. Miss Delta strong!"

*howling with laughter*

12/
Her: "So girl, I tried to ignore her and get back to my potato salad. And just when I was finishing up and putting some paprika on it, I felt this little tiny, baby cough in my chest."

She demonstrated a tiny cough and then swung her head from side to side in surprise.

13/
Her: "I was like, 'What was that?' Then *inserts tiny cough* it happened again!"
Me: "And where was Miss Delta?"
Her: "Girl. She done propped her ass up on my kitchen counter and stuck her finger in my potato salad. Just rude!"

Now the nurses were laughing, too.

14/
Her: "So I says, 'Listen, Miss Delta. I got to take this potato salad over to this cookout!' And Miss Delta just licked her finger and said, 'Naaaw. You not going to NO cookout. YOU going to GRADY, boo."

Everyone was doubled over.

Her: *deadpan* "I'm dead serious."

15/
Her: "Yeah chile. So she threw a monkey wrench in all my plans. She told me, 'Go on and get your phone charger 'cause you gon' need it.'"
Me: "She said that?"
Her: "Mmmmm hmm. Then, while I'm gasping for my life, she sitting in the corner of my hospital room looking bored."

16/
Her: "Filing her nails talkin' 'bout some, 'Bet your ass get vaccinated this time won't you?' And I was like, 'Give me ALL the shots. All of 'em!"
Nurse: "Girl, what she say to that?"
Her: "Chile. She said, 'Oh you gots to wait now.'"

*laughter*

17/
Her: *shaking head* "So yeah. I'm counting down the days now. 'Cause when I tell you I don't want NOTHING to do with Miss Rona, Miss Delta, or none'a they cousins? I mean it."

Her smile faded and she sighed.

Me: "I'm so glad you're feeling better."
Her: "Me, too."

18/
Me: "Hey--and for what it's worth .. .. I can see how you thought you were protected. You know?"
Her: *sighs* "Yeah."

*silence*

Her: "I could've died. Or not got better. And, real talk? I don't know which a those woulda been worse to me."

Damn.

19/
Me: *listening*
Her: "I hate thinking I coulda got everybody at that cookout sick."
Me: "I'm glad Miss Delta shut that down before you could."
Her: *chuckling* "I know that's right."

*silence*

Me: "Can you do me a favor?"
Her: *listening*
Me: "Will you tell people?"

20/
Me: "Like.. . tell them what you told me? And suggest they get vaccinated?"
Her: "You ain't said nothing but a word, sis. I'm telling any and every damn body: Miss Delta ain't to be played with, messed with, or underestimated. Do you hear me?"

*laughter*

Yes, I do hear you.

21/
I'm recognizing that even in the times that feels like the horse is already out of the barn, we still have an opportunity have impact.

Yup.

And that doesn't just mean us in healthcare. That means all of us everywhere.

Yeah.

#shameaintit
#staythecourse
#BlackWhysMatter