“OOWEE IS OPEN FOR COLLECTION” pops up on my phone screen, a message from my friend Faye. It has been over two months since I’ve eaten anything that hasn’t been cooked in my kitchen. A few texts later and we’ve arranged to have a socially distanced burger together.
I head to Bedminster in South Bristol to collect the Oowee Diner burgers: mine the lentil Good Burger, hers the Saucy Bird chicken burger. Before leaving, I strap them into the passenger seat and drive the 20 minutes back with the smell of the burgers perfuming the air around me. It's hot inside the car, but I dare not open the windows in case the breeze cools my precious cargo.
We convene at the Cross Hands beer garden. The pubs may still be shut, but at least we can attempt to recreate a summer pub experience—and with so many benches, we can sit far enough apart to adhere to the social-distancing rules.
Faye pulls out two cans of Sky Above, a Pale Ale from Left Handed Giant Brewing Co., still cold from her fridge. After she’s placed them on the bench and backed away, I set her Oowee burger and fries next to the beer before picking it up and stepping back to my bench. Like this, we do the social-distancing dance, already accustomed to the new ways our bodies have to move through space.
Once we’re far enough apart, we dig in eagerly. I crack my can, take a sip, have a bite, and let the familiar and nearly forgotten joy that only a good burger, a good beer, and a good friend can bring wash over me. For the next 10 minutes, all I can manage to say between bites and gulps is “This is so good; this is so good; I’ve missed this so much."
Words + Photoby Nicci Peet