The Concert
by Teresa
Gauthier
“Claire,
are you free this evening?” Claire could
hear the excitement in Roberta’s voice, as
soon as she answered the phone.
“We have
a chance to see the Eagles, in concert, at the
Climate Pledge Arena, and” Roberta paused
for effect, “for free!”
“Wait. Do
you mean the band, the Eagles? Not the flying
kind? Are you kidding me? Tell me!”
“The band
has stipulated that only vaccinated persons can
attend. My neighbors know the organizers and they
asked me to volunteer to check vaccine status. We
need another person. We have to be there two
hours before the concert, stand at the entrance,
and check the paperwork. It should be easy. We
will be outside, so dress warmly. Of course, it
could rain, but we will be under a tent.”
Roberta went on to say that they would get free
parking and guaranteed seats, somewhere in the
Arena. Roberta was delighted to be picked up at 4
p.m.
***
They joined 6
other checkers at the Arena. They were to verify
the COVID vaccination records with the ID. No
exceptions, anyone who was not fully vaccinated,
even with an exemption letter, could not enter
and was to be directed to the administration
office.
Concertgoers
started gathering early. Each checker had a lane
outside the entrance to the arena. Roberta and
Claire had the two lanes at one end. The drizzle
had started and Claire yelled to Roberta. “Where
is that tent that they told you about?”
Roberta shrugged as they both got to work. In the
beginning, before the swell, checking the
documents was easy and people were friendly and
excited. It was November 2021 and this was one of
the first big musical events in Seattle since the
mask mandate had been lifted a few months before.
Spirits were high.
After a short
time, the rain rolled in, softly at first, but
enough to make the ticket holders lean forward a
little more in hopes of getting inside quicker.
Both women were checking diligently. They were
nurses and took their duties seriously. They
assumed the other checkers would be as particular.
As the start time approached and as the rain
increased Claire noticed that the earlier,
easygoing attitudes were changing. Persons were
still polite but seemed a little edgy. She tried
to check carefully, but it became increasingly
difficult as vaccination cards and licenses were
thrust at her. “Please, one at a time and
please keep your documents together” she
implored. Everyone was getting very wet. She did
her best to be thorough, while at the same time
shielding the vaccine cards, as ink was starting
to run. She kept the crowd moving and saw at a
glance that Roberta beside her was doing okay as
well. She couldn’t tell what was happening
in the other lanes.
One man,
wearing a bright red rain jacket and a ball cap
emblazoned with “Make America Great Again”
approached Claire in a friendly manner. He
flicked a letter-sized paper at her. “Hello.
I have an exception letter. You can just let us
in.”
“Sir”,
Claire responded, “ If you don’t have
proof of vaccination, I have to ask you to go
around that side to the administration office.
“
The man’s
smile disappeared and he suddenly seemed to grow
taller. He said in a louder voice, “The
website said that proof of exception was
acceptable!”
“Sir, I
am sure that is true, but first, you need to go
to the Administration Office.” Claire heard
her own voice rise an octave or two and she felt
her heart start to thump. The man loomed over her
and began waving the paper in her face. She drew
herself up and threw her arms out wide, “Sir,
I have asked you to follow the mandate I was
given.” Other patrons, observing the scene
drew back. The man was not dissuaded and advanced
towards her, in a menacing manner. Glancing at
the lengthening line she shoved her hand toward
the man’s face and firmly ordered, “Just
stop! Stand to the side, and wait”. Backing
up slowly, she stuck her head inside the door and
asked the ticket collector for assistance.
Shortly after this, the man and his party were
escorted inside the arena by a security guard.
Giving an
exasperated sigh, Claire shrugged and turned back
to checking and verifying cards as quickly as
possible. She got many sympathetic smiles from
the remaining patrons. Roberta waved over some of
the attendees to her line. Claire noted that the
other checkers had all disappeared, leaving just
herself and Roberta. The concert had already
started. Concertgoers continued to trickle in.
Finally, a ticket collector from inside came out,
telling them he would handle the rest.
Roberta asked,
“What did we miss?”
“Just the
opening song, Hotel California,”
said another ticket collector.
“Oh, darn.
That is my favorite song” groaned Claire.
She spluttered, “That nasty man, that, that
wank, pardon my expression, is in there. He’s
the one that made us late.”
“Best to
let it go, Claire. Come on, let's find these
seats.” Roberta led the way to box seats,
just to the side and within a few feet of the
stage. They couldn’t believe their good luck
and they gave each other a high five and waved at
the band. Soon they were dancing and singing,
forgetting the missed song.
During the
intermission, Claire heard some raised voices.
She saw several burly security guards forcefully
escorting a man down the aisle toward the exit.
He was gesturing and swearing loudly. She was
sure she spied a red jacket and a baseball cap,
now askew.
Claire grinned,
“Well, Roberta, I think tonight America has
been made great again”
Chuckling, the
women headed back to their private booth. Roberta
heard Claire humming, then singing, “You can
check in any time you like but you can never stay!”
The
Concert by Teresa Gauthier
Copyright October, 2023- All Rights Reserved
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