Chapter Two

Patricia placed her keys on the kitchen counter. Things weren’t looking good. Most of her family and friends were all in the same boat because of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

Some of her neighbors had to pack up their stuff and move into a much less costly apartment for the remainder of the year/season. She was thinking of moving, too. She still had to sign up for longer shifts and hours at the nearby clinic to assist with taking care of the rising number of Covid patients. If she were going to move, the place would have to be either closer to the clinic, or an hour’s drive away.

She’s lucky to be still working at the clinic. When she heard the clinic staff members hours were being changed; there were other staff members who were laid off due to the effect on the economy, and company, because of the coronavirus. She felt as if she was going to have a myocardial infarction from all the current stress, with changes taking place since the number of cases started to rise in the capital, Tunis, much earlier in the year.

She took a deep breath. Now was not the time to give up hope. Patricia walked to the living area. She sat on the couch and closed her eyes for a couple minutes. The next minute she opened them she screamed out loud.

An article she had read a few days ago recommended several ways/methods to put into practice when feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted. One method that stuck with her was: to take a long breath and let out a scream. She smiled and then laughed.

One other thing that would make her feel a little calmer was a nice hot cup of honey, lemon, and mint flavored tea.