For her entire 50 years of life, my friend’s sister  Elset Farwell never asked anyone for any help.

She was independent, her family said.

She is salty and a little spicy her friends said.

That was why they never asked Elset how she was doing when they spoke to her on the phone, that is the reason nobody asked how she was doing when COVID-19 shut the world down.

Good old Elset they said. She doesn’t need anybody.

Two weeks ago Elset’s brother in law saw her standing at the bus stop near her house. He waved and drove on by because Elset could manage to get to where she was going on her own. She didn’t need any help from him or anybody else.

She did not wave back.

Yesterday I saw Elset at the supermarket.

We were waiting our turn in the checkout line.

I reached out and touched her shoulder and she turned around.

” Oh. I’m sorry. I thought you my friend’s sister Elset. ”

The woman smiled at me.

” Oh. That’s okay. I just moved her a little while ago and I’ve run into a few people who thought I was someone named Elset. I guess it’s true, we all have a twin somewhere out there, don’t we?”

On my way out of the supermarket I saw my friend I stopped to say hello and as I did the woman I thought was Elset breezed by us. My friend shook her head, laughed  and said airily, ” that’s Elset for  you. ”

I didn’t know what to say, actually what I wanted to ask when was the last time you actually talked to Elset, and when you saw her did you ever really look at her?”

I didn’t ask, because I had the haunting feeling that Elset’s family really couldn’t  have cared less.