Miss Annie

Farewell Miss Annie

To say I have known no one who died of COVID would be as much as to say I have not known anyone who died of AIDS or HIV related illnesses.

In San Francisco long before cocktail drugs saved the day, my own sanity and extremely active sex life I knew a half of dozen of people who died of AIDS.  Their unexpected deaths left me shattered. A piece of me died right along with every one of them.

Of COVID I now know two people met here in Florence who have died.  Most recently Miss Annie who lived down the hall in Apt 110. Her friends and family called her Queen, but I never asked why they called her Queen when she was Miss Annie to me.  Perhaps, I was afraid of competition. 

Miss Annie was a wonderful woman, the cheerleader of our building who often made me laugh a lot about the silliness of life.  She would invite on some of her joyrides to see places she knew in South Carolina, and I had never seen.  The towels, shower curtains in my guest bathroom (and my some of my socks! she called stockings because she said I needed a mother, which is not really true) is from Miss Annie. Hearing that she had passed broke my heart.

A few days later at one of Super Walmart on South Irby Street where I went to buy plant food for my sad indoor plants, my spirit  was lifted at a sight of  Christmas trees all over the plant department.

Walmart Christmas trees at Super Walmart, South Irby Street, Florence, SC

My only "well plant" a snake plant from Polly's Plant purchased at Florence City Farmers Market