Untitled Reflection

by Ethan Samet-Marram

On the first night of panic, I stopped in Trader Joe’s. I couldn’t help wondering: why were lasagna noodles gone, but boxes of fusilli remained? Frozen apple pies abounded, but (sigh) no mandarins. I considered politely tapping a shelf stocker’s shoulder to inquire about a particular organic curry paste that seemed to be out of stock, stifling a smile while her imagined face contorted amidst the frazzled shoppers stocking emergency supplies. Pretending to act indecisive, I stood before the tomato sauce—garden vegetable or mushroom/onion? —the only two cans remaining, as other shoppers stood back.