I think we subconsciously try to suppress the anxious feeling we hold as frontline workers. I tell myself, I'm okay. I'm not going to get it. I tell myself, my parents aren't going to get it. I tell myself, we will be fine. 

However, when my father tells me: "Oh, Peet's on XYZ street closed because an employee caught COVID." Or when a customer comes in and says: "I never noticed you, this is my first time at your coffee shop." Then when I ask why, they tell me that it's because their usual café closed down. Insignificant comments seem like throwing rocks into a tank of water. It wears us down, and slowly the tank will overflow. And I find it harder to tell myself that I'm fine. 

We are grateful because despite having our business for only one year before the pandemic, we could maintain our shop because of the ongoing community support.

As a family of Asian Americans, we were aware of the increase in prejudice against our community. Although business slowed in the months following the pandemic, we haven't witnessed any overt signs of racism or hatred towards my family or me. For this, I am grateful. 

Here are some of the precautions we did to keep our customers and us safe during this time:

• During the first few weeks of the pandemic, surgical masks were hard to come by. My dad drove 12 hours away to get mask supplies for the shop.

• We built a protective screen on the second day of lockdown on March 17th.

• Stopped accept customers own cups.

• Provided masks to neighbors who needed them.

• Closed bathroom from public use.

• Sanitized our chairs and tables after every customer finished using them.

• Used alcohol to disinfect the cashier system after every transaction.

• All self-serviced items like straws and sugar had to be taken back. We would help the customers with these items now.

Thank you for reading my short story.

- Caven