The God Rays
Harold had barely placed his foot past the doorstep of The God Rays when a warm and upbeat voice greeted him, ‘Hello, Mr Lee, nice to see you! How’re you and your family? Takeaway as usual?’
A smile glided across Harold’s face. It was difficult to find things to smile about these days. Pub gatherings with his old friends had been one of his most reliable sources of emotional support. Eating at his favourite eateries used to be his routine. Weekend getaways to the beach with his wife and daughters had been a top pastime. These had all changed since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yet there was something about that voice — its warmth and sprightliness — that gave Harold a sense of rejuvenated optimism and lifted his spirit. That was probably why he kept coming back, besides the consistently delicious food that most people would grow tired of after ordering food from the same restaurant so often.
‘Hi, Steve, so nice to see you too! Yes, takeaway as usual. We’re good. A hectic week working from home with the kids buzzing around, as usual. Five online meetings yesterday but thank God, I got through that!’
‘Ah, sounds tough! But it’s good to be busy, if you look at it in another way. You told me your wife would be having knee replacement surgery last week. How’s her knee now?’
