Little pocket-sized sanitiser dispensers to clean our hands every time we touch a surface outside (and inside) of our homes. Is this the new normal that we are going to have to get used to? No more chit-chat with random people. On the drive home, I start thinking about the earlier scene in the parking lot. She nods her head in response and I can see that she is smiling from behind her mask. I wink at the cashier and apologise, that because of the mask, she probably can’t see my friendly smile. Physical distance is maintained, you wait your turn, you pay and you go. In the checkout queue, the procedure is pretty much the same. Eyes straight ahead as we move up and down the aisles, grabbing what we need. The face masks add to the surrealism of the scene. It is as if we are participating in some sacred ritual. Periodically, those in front are allowed in and the rest shuffles forward waiting their turn. Even those who appear to be together lean their heads close to each other and whisper. Everyone is maintaining a distance from the next person. There is a queue of people patiently waiting to enter the store. Instead of using any one of the many entrances and exits, only one door is used to allow customers entry and the exit is from another door. Every other retail store in the mall is shut, except for the two large food chains and the pharmacy. I approach one of the security personnel who points me in the direction of the food store. The well-lit corridors have barriers across them and are completely empty. I enter the mall for the first time since the lockdown almost a month ago. This is my favourite Joburg spot for people watching. With shoppers, the odd busker playing music, young people meeting before a movie, the adjacent coffee shops and pizza places humming with conversation. I remind myself that it is a Saturday and this space would normally be buzzing with people. In my perplexed state, I follow both of them. She steps away from her trolley and the young man picks the money up off the floor, and follows her. It’s broad daylight and there are many people in the immediate vicinity. “What the hell is going on,” I thought to myself. She then took a R20 note from her wallet and placed it on the floor, all the while keeping her eye on him. “Stop right there! Don’t come near me,” she said, pointing at a spot between her and the young man. As she approached the perimeter of the parking lot, a young man, one of many, approached to help her. A lady was pushing a well-laden Woolworths trolley towards the parking lot in Rosebank, Johannesburg. I was witness to the most extraordinary scene over the weekend. What will the perimeters be in their social lives? Will hanging out or going to clubs be taboo for them from now on? I wonder how this new world will impact young people, the ones who were absent from the mall today.