By Marian Brennen Pratt
Ethel went to buy groceries at one of the big “We-can-sell-you-anything” stores. She had been having back troubles, so she got a cart and leaned on it while slowly navigating the aisles collecting the things she absolutely had to have. Finally, she approached a check-out counter, managed to get her prospective purchases on the “tread mill” and waited her turn.
When the cashier announced that her bill was $52, Ethel went in search of the debit card. (The one she was always going to keep in the same place, so she could find it.) It wasn’t there so the hunt was on. She rummaged through her purse hauling stuff out which made a pile bigger than the purse. She looked and looked. Why hadn’t she started when the cashier was ringing up the groceries? At least she would have had a head start. A feeling of impending hysteria was beginning to grasp at her windpipe when the man in line behind her said “Hey lady, is this what you’re lookin’ for?”
Oh, yes it was the card and he was pointing at the floor. Just how exactly was she going to get that off the floor? If she bent over that far she might never get back up. She needed to do it though, so she just started after the card and clunked her head on something – the guy’s head. He had seen her hesitate and decided he would pick it up for her. They nearly knocked each other out but she very graciously said she was so, so sorry and thanked him profusely. She explained how she was having back troubles and how she was so grateful that he had picked the card up. “You saved my life”, she said, as he held his head. The bill was paid, and she started to walk away with her acquisitions when the same man said “Hey lady. don’t forget your milk.” Ethel rushed back and grabbed it off the turntable and fled.
Walking the entire length of the store to meet up with her friends was not easy but she made it and just as she was sitting down at a table in the little Subway shop by the door she heard a familiar voice, “Hey lady”, he said, “You left your wallet at the check-out,” Ethel had never come so close to fainting in her entire life. She thanked him profusely and again she told him he had saved her life and started the long journey back to reclaim the wallet. When she got there, it had been taken to customer service. In order to get it back she was asked to show some I.D. With a heavy sigh, Ethel pointed to the wallet and said, “It’s in there.” The customer service girl did an eye roll and handed her the wallet
After walking the entire length of the store again, Ethel needed a drink. She paid for a coke at the counter, was given an empty cardboard cup and told the pop machine was right around the corner. She got her cup of pop, a straw and a lid but she was so out of breath and so thirsty that she did not take the time to put the lid on. Lifting the cup for just a sip she made a quick right turn and crashed into our guy. “Oh” she said, “I don’t believe this. I’m really sorry that I have been so much trouble for you today.” “So am I, lady” he said. Ethel opened her mouth to apologize again but he held up the palm of his hand to her and grinned: “I know, I know, I saved your life.”
