Now that the government has announced the opening of hooch shops, and some are for it, and many against it, I decided I’d don a mask, practice social distancing and find out for myself the reaction of drinkers by meeting them as they bought their liquor: “Stand in line brother,” said the last man in the queue, as he politely social distanced himself from me.
“You are in a good mood!” I said.
“You should see my wife!” said the man as he pulled down his mask and grinned at me, “She’s in an even better mood!”
“You mean she wasn’t unhappy?” I asked, “Didn’t she scream, and shout and make a fuss, about you wasting the family money?”
“Why should she?” asked the man, “She will also enjoy like I do!”
I turned to another man, who had joined the line behind me, “Was it very difficult the last month or so?” I asked.
The man behind gave me a sly smile, “In our country, lockdown or no lockdown, you can get what you want!” he said, and all the other people in the line laughed along with him.
“Don’t you have a bag?” asked a woman who strangely was also part of the long line, and as I looked farther I did see many women, and wondered whether they were buying the golden stuff for their men, or for themselves, I was brought out of my deep thoughts, by the same woman pointing at my empty hands, “Sorry!” I said, “I’m not buying much! In fact, I am just buying one!”
Most in the line looked at me strangely, and I wondered whether I had let them down, by saying I wasn’t too fond of the fiery liquid till I heard the same lady ask, “Just one? One what?”
“Not decided,” I said happily, “Maybe even just a half or a quarter!”
“Of what?” asked the lady, “I don’t think there’s any half or quarter to buy here!”
“You see,” I said, “I’m not too much into it like you people are. Just a sip once in a way does enough for me!”
“Sip?” asked the man at the back of me.
“Yeah, you know what I mean, special occasions, birthdays, weddings!”
There was an uncomfortable silence as the line moved one pace at a time, “How do you have it,” I asked the man in front of me, “neat, with soda or water or on the rocks?”
“What are you talking about?” asked both the men, even as the woman looked at me strangely, “
“Your drinks!” I said pleasantly.
“Our what?”
“What we are all standing in line for!” I said even more pleasantly.
“This is the queue to the vegetable store!” said the woman, “and what exactly are you standing in line for?”
I fled, before I was lynched..!

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