A room with a view

March 12, 2020, Day 1

Wanda looked around her new home. She was so excited. This was the first home she had ever owned. Well, almost owned. Right now it was a co-ownership between her and the bank, with the bank being the majority shareholder. But, she figured that would all change, just as soon as her new company took off.

Her business was travel and her target demographic was seniors. It was the fastest growing sector of the travel business, and the group with the most disposable income. Cha-ching! What could be better?

Her business organized and created travel experiences for senior travellers, to all the “hot” places — Morocco, Peru, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland. Even places as far flung as Antartica and the Amazon. Her business had a “AAA” rating from AARP. There had been an incredible uptick in bookings recently. Word was getting around that she provided luxurious travel for the discerning traveller, offering the best of everything — accommodations, transportation, excursions, and food. The spring and summer sessions were almost sold out. And the best thing was that she could run her business from home. There was no need for a pricey office space. Her home was her office.

She looked around her new loft. It was huge! Twelve foot high windows, and other than the bathroom and bedroom, a wide open floor plan. And, bonus, because she was on the top floor, she had her own private roof terrace, with the same footprint as her unit. It was the perfect space with everything she wanted.

Wanda admired her new home. She was sure that this was the best decision that she had ever made. It was a new home, and a new beginning. Wanda Travel was ready to take off.

She looked across the street at the lofts in the building adjacent. She wondered if those people were as lucky as she was.

March 25, 2020, Day 14

Wanda nibbled on her thumb nail. Okay, she rationalized. I’ve got this. The country was shut down — hell, the whole world was shut down, meaning no travel. Anywhere. And her clients wanted their money back for canceled trips. She could handle that. Maybe. She hadn’t had to pay the vendors for the majority of her tours yet, so she could issue refunds to her clients. Maybe. If they didn’t ask for their money back, and opted for a credit, she would give them a 110 percent credit. That could stem the haemorrhaging. Maybe. This pandemic thing shouldn’t last that long. Right? Wanda figured she’d be back in business for the summer season.

Wanda knew she had to make some serious decisions. Her income had dried up overnight. But she still had to make her mortgage payments. Where was she going to get money for that? Wanda Travel was benched, so Wanda had to think of a Plan B — what was she going to do for a job?

She looked out the window of her loft to the building across the street. She wondered how everyone over there was doing. Hopefully better than her.

April 26, 2020, Day 46

Wanda was dumbstruck. She had just read that there were over 200,000 deaths worldwide from COVID. That was looney tunes. Two hundred thousand people, dead.

That’s some scary shit! she thought. She’d started to really worry, an overwhelming worry, not just for herself, but for her family, her friends, the world.

Wanda looked around her home. She was very close to missing a mortgage payment. She had spoken to the bank, and they would allow her to postpone payments, but she didn’t want to do that — it would only make her hole deeper.

Instead, she found a job, sort of. It wasn’t the kind of job she would ever tell her parents about, but it was going to pay the bills. She cringed when she thought about it. She had just started a job as a phone sex worker. It was harder than she thought it would be, but, surprisingly lucrative. COVID had scared off in-person sex-for-money, so, phone sex was the old-timey thing back in demand again.

Wanda gazed across the street, something she found herself doing more and more. Just staring vacantly out of the window. But lately, she’d found herself watching the people who lived in the other converted factory, the twin to building. What else did she have to do, other than look out the window, and wait for the phone to ring?

Directly across and down one floor was Workout Girl. She was some kinda fit. Peloton fit. And she was always exercising. Wanda wasn’t sure she could do half of what this woman was doing. Wanda had seen her coming and going from her apartment in running clothes. In her apartment she had a rowing machine, treadmill, stair climber, exercise bands, and free weights. Workout girl was always in motion, always doing something. Wanda wished that she had that kind of willpower and dedication. But Wanda was pretty sure she didn’t eat, or at least Wanda had never seen her eat, ever.

Two windows left, and one floor down was a really interesting couple — The Kind Couple. They were older, maybe her parents’ age, in their sixties, probably retired. Wanda found herself wishing they were her parents. They were always kind to each other — you know, a loving touch, a shared smile. They ate dinner together every night at the table, talking and laughing. She had watched them play cards, or read together, or sometimes play a board game, or backgammon. Wanda wished that she had someone significant in her life who would treat her was well as the Kind Couple treated each other.

She looked down and over one unit. This was Ken and Karen. Wanda had never met these people, but man, oh man, they looked sooooo obnoxious. They were always on their devices, and rarely made eye contact. Wanda noticed that they never tipped their food delivery people — at least, judging by the looks on the delivery people’s faces they didn’t. Hair salons were shut down, but Ken and Karen had a personal stylist come to their home. And and they were maskless! How self-involved were these people? And on Easter weekend they had about fifteen people over. Wanda had to admit that she was feeling a lot angry, a little jealous, and a little lonely.

May 18, 2020, Day 67

Wanda sat on the high bar stool she had pulled over to the window. She looked across the street. She was worried about Workout Girl. Wanda had seen her crying while working out. Probably stress, she thought, just like everyone else. Workout Girl still did all of her workout, but she didn’t seem to love doing it quite as much.

But nothing to worry about with the Kind Couple. They still seemed to be happy together, although Wanda had noticed a bit more wine in the evening and fewer board games being played.

Ken and Karen seemed to be pandemic-proof. They went out a lot. Wanda had seen them come back more than once with doggy bags. They came and went as if the world wasn’t in lockdown.

June 22, 2020 Day 109

Wanda was ashamed to say that she was not living her best life. The city had been opened up quite a bit, but she still didn’t really feel safe going out. She much preferred to stay home and watch her neighbours. In fact, she bought some binoculars. Did that make her creepy? One hundred percent yes, but she didn’t care. Watching these people was better than television! She thought of them as her friends. And just like her real-world friends and family, she did not love them equally.

She worried about Workout Girl a lot. Even from such a distance, Wanda could see that she was dangerously thin. And she cried more and more. Wanda felt like her kindred spirit because they were both alone. Workout Girl never had visitors, and she only left her loft, to go running. She seemed to be getting sadder and thinner.

The Kind Couple appeared to be coping okay. Mrs. Kind Couple had given Mr. Kind Couple the stink eye a few times. Wanda assumed that maybe they might need a bit of time apart. But they still regularly video-chatted with, Wanda assumed, family, because there was always someone holding up a baby and kids for the Kind Couple to see and wave at.

Ken and Karen were status quo. Wanda did see Karen give a food delivery driver a piece of her mind. She kept pointing at her watch and shaking her finger at him. Wanda had to laugh when the driver snatched the bag of food back, and left the apartment, with Karen yelling and chasing him out the door.

July 25, 2020, Day 135

Wanda was glad that she had air conditioning. It was hot as Hades out there, and she had to be in a quiet environment for “work.” She was amazed at how fast she had lost her initial embarrassment with her job, and how fast she learned to stretch out a phone call, because, well, she was paid by the minute, so she did what she had to do. She even had some regular customers.

Sitting on her stool, she looked across the street. She had a telescope now. She justified it because she needed to have at least one hand free to answer her work phone.

Ken and Karen had apparently taken off somewhere. About a week ago Wanda had seen them leave. They were probably going somewhere pretentious.

She looked at Workout Girl’s windows. She was slowly pedalling her Peloton. Her face was all red and sweaty. Suddenly she fell off her bike.

Wanda jumped up, and tried to see into her apartment. She could only see Workout Girl’s shoulder, and she wasn’t moving. Wanda didn’t know what to do.

She grabbed her phone, and dialled nine-one-one.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

“My neighbour just collapsed. She isn’t moving.”

“Is she breathing?”

“I don’t know. I’m watching her from across the street.”

Wanda gave the operator the address of Workout Girl’s building, but she could only guess at the apartment number.

Five minutes later the EMTs rolled up, jumped out, and ran to the door. Precious minutes ticked by until the lobby door of the building opened. It was almost another five minutes before the apartment door opened and paramedics entered the unit.

Wanda’s work phone trilled. Oh, God, not now. But she had to answer it. Time was literally money.

“Hello. This is Shareen. How can I made a hard day better?” she said using her husky- sexy voice.

She watched the EMTs working on Workout Girl. They hooked up an intravenous line and started taking her vitals.

“... Oh, yes. I’m wearing ...”

It looked like Workout Girl was headed for the hospital.

“... I know that’s what you want ...” Wanda spoke into her phone, while nervously watching the scene across the street. She was worried, but hoped Workout Girl was in good hands. She turned her attention back to Doug on her work phone.

“I would slowly, very slowly make you take your clothes off first. Then I would ...”

It’s a job, she thought.

August 19, 2020, Day 160

Workout Girl was back home within a week, but, she’d stopped working out. Cold turkey. Instead, she sat on her couch and watched things on her laptop. Wanda hopped she would be okay.

Ken and Karen had arrived home the previous Sunday. Today they had some type of cleaning company in. Wanda watched as Karen stood in the middle of her apartment, hands on hips when she wasn’t beckoning one of the workers or pointing at something that obviously displeased her.

Man, Wanda thought, this woman is a nightmare.

September 16, 2020, Day 188

Wanda was rocked. The Kind Couple were gone. She couldn’t believe it.

Just before Labour Day, she noticed that Mr. Kind Couple seemed to get sick. Wanda couldn’t figure out how. They rarely went out, and when they did, they masked up. They had everything delivered — groceries, takeout, Amazon. And they never had anyone over. But yet, they got sick. Wanda had noticed him coughing first. Then Mrs. Kind Couple was coughing the next day. Wanda was rooting for them to beat it, but that didn’t happen. After three days, the ambulance arrived, and took them both to the hospital.

Today, two women arrived. They both looked heartbroken and devastated. They started to go through the loft, placing things in boxes. Each of them had started to cry at different points during the day. Wanda assumed they were the Kind Couple’s children and were cleaning out the apartment, getting ready to sell.

It broke Wanda’s heart. She was pretty sure that this lovely couple had died from the virus. She hadn’t known anyone who had died from it before now. Wanda sat by the window and cried.

October 19, 2020, Day 221

Wanda had been watching Ken and Karen. Karen had changed into her robe, and was heading for the bathroom. Ken looked around, and pulled his phone out.

As she watched him, her work phone burred.

“Hello. This is Shareen. How can I made a hard day better?” she said automatically, while still looking across the street.

“Hi Shareen, this is Andy.” Andy was one of Wanda’s regulars — a bad boy.

“Andy, have you been a bad boy?”

“Oh, yes I have.”

“I’ve been a bad girl, too, Andy.”

“Tell me what you did that was bad.”

Wanda watched as Karen came back into the living room.

“Who are you talking to?” demanded a female voice over the phone. Wanda looked at Ken and Karen. Oh my God! Andy is Ken! She almost laughed out loud.

“Just a sec,” said Andy. She watched him turn to Karen “It’s Gail, from work. We’re setting up a meeting.”

Wanda watched while Karen stared disbelievingly at Ken.

“I’ll call you back.” He hung up.

Wanda watched while Karen put out her hand, like she wanted Ken/Andy’s phone. He shook his head. She demanded it again. Again, a hard no. Then Ken/Andy stomped out the door. A minute later he was striding out of the front door of the building, with his phone at his ear.

Wanda’s work phone buzzed again.

November 11, 2020, Day 244

This was the best thing that Wanda had ever seen. She was still smiling while happy tears ran down her cheeks.

Workout Girl had looked up, surprised, and walked toward the door. Wanda had never seen anyone visit her, so she was intrigued. When Workout Girl opened the door, there was a man in uniform. Workout Girl’s hands flew to face, then she threw herself into the man’s arms. It was amazing! He swung her around, and they kissed. Wanda was so happy. Workout Girl’s guy had come home!

December 25, 2020, Day 288

Well, Christmas sucked. Ken and Karen had a whole house full of people. There was turkey with all the trimmings. There was dessert, and wine, and laughter. Wanda almost said to hell with it, and went over to crash their get-together.

She didn’t think that she would feel this lonely because she knew no one else was with their loved ones either, but watching Ken and Karen made her long for all the uncomfortable Christmases at home with her awkward family.

Her work phone burred.

Come on! It’s Christmas!

January 23, 2021, Day 317

Okay, it was dark and snowy, and generally crappy weather. There was no way Wanda was going to go outside, even if she could. But Workout Couple did, every day. They ran together, regardless of the weather. And Workout Girl looked so joyful.

Wanda was so happy that they had each other.

February 28, 2021, Day 253

Wanda was seriously pissed. Ken and Karen had gotten a COVID shot. How the hell did that happen? They weren’t old. They weren’t essential workers, unless looking at your phone was considered essential.

Assholes!

Wanda was for sure going to ask Ken/Andy the next time he called — “Hey Andy, have you had a prick in your arm?” Yeah, she’d say that.

March 12, 2021, One Year

Wanda opened the window and breathed in. Spring was definitely in the air, and life looked promising. There were four vaccines available, so she should be able to get vaccinated, soon-ish. More importantly, Wanda Travel was a go again. Seniors were the first to get the vaccine, and man, they wanted to travel. She’d already booked a number of tours for the fall and winter.

She looked across at the building on the other side of the street. This had been her go-to for so long now, she didn’t even realize she was doing it any more.

Workout Girl was pregnant. Wanda was sure of it. Although she remembered her mother admonishing her to never ask a woman if she was pregnant unless you could actually see the baby’s head, she was pretty sure. Plus Workout Guy was constantly rubbing her stomach. It was so cute!

Ken/Andy still called her regularly. He had gone back to work. Karen was still at home, still being bossy. And in the weirdest of weird, Karen had called Wanda. Somehow she had gotten the number from Ken/Andy’s phone, and she wanted Wanda to tell her what Ken/Andy liked.

Wanda had declined, but they did seem to be getting along better — less device-time, more together-time.

And, sadly, the Kind Couple’s unit had been sold. Wanda didn’t know too much about the new family because they had immediately installed blinds. She hoped they were happy.

And Wanda, for the first time in a long time, felt a bit of optimism. She knew the world would never go back to “normal,” but she was looking forward to a new, better, normal.