needing to pee in guerneville

pretty little community on the russian river & very little is open.  a few shops with limits on how many persons can be inside at a time.  a couple of restaurants with outdoor seating.  we arrive to find a place to have lunch.  i knew i shouldn't have had that second cup of coffee before we left.  man!  i gotta go!  covid-19 restrictions make finding a public toilet a challenge.  yet, the Safeway is open.  we pull into the parking lot.  i mask up. go into the store.  at the deli i ask the masked worker if there is a bathroom.  much to my relief & delight she said it is around the corner.  these are the only public bathrooms & there is a line.  holy shit!  i take my place in the queue.  i take out my phone.  very little cell reception.  i manage to text anna where i am & how long i might have to wait.  social distancing makes the line seem longer.  behind me is a woman.  she tells me she is a travelling nurse.  she says there are only two public bathrooms in this community because of the pandemic.  the other is across the street at the gas station.  i'm almost delirious.  time dilates to a single point of need.  the travelling nurse is telling me something.  about the pandemic & her work. about her travels.  the points between a & b & the precautions she must take for her own safety.  i am doing my best to concentrate.  i am doing my best to listen.  i am doing my best.  as i wait.  as i listen.  & fail at my listening.  i feel it behind my eyes.  my temples.  time becomes a pulse.