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The mall
2004-01-11 - 11:55 p.m.
A DAY AT THE MALL!!! Even though I had many things around here that needed to be done, I decided that I needed to get out and be around people. I didn�t care if they were people I knew. I actually preferred the company of strangers. I just wanted to be alone in the crowd. It�s been quite some time since I�ve been to the Mall. The last time was about 6 months ago, shortly after Mom passed. It was difficult venturing out there for the first time, by myself. I sat down in the food court for the first time, by myself, drank a diet coke, by myself, and burst into tears as memories of Mom flooded my mind. Sure, people walked by and stared, but I didn�t care. I just put on my sunglasses, held my head high, and forced myself to sit there and finish that coke. It sounds strange, but it�s what I needed to do. I had to prove to myself that I could do it, I could survive, and I could go on alone. Yes, all this from a coke at the Mall. Today was different. I didn�t have anything to prove to myself, other than treating myself to a �Me� day, a perhaps find a good book to read. This time when I sat in the food court, drinking my diet coke, a cute little lady asked if she could join me. I pulled out her chair, and held her ice cream cone for her as she arranged her walker in a way that kept it in reach, but did not block the path of pedestrian traffic. For the first few minutes, we sat there quietly, she with her dripping ice cream cone, and me with my diet coke. We would do the occasional �polite smile� whenever we caught the other looking in our direction, but neither of us knew what to say to each other. After a few moments, I noticed that there was a very slow drip of melted chocolate ice cream, coming from the bottom of her cone. She appeared oblivious to it, as it slowly ran down the creases of her weathered, frail palm, and worked its way slowly to the crease in her wrist. She looked startled, when I asked her to watch my things, and that I�d be back in a moment. I returned with a stack of napkins, one wet, and without thinking, wiped away the chocolate trail, which was now threatening to stain the sleeve of her prim and proper pink beaded sweater, from her arm. She smiled a tiny smile, and politely thanked me. I sat for a few more silent moments, but this time when I glanced up in her direction, a tear was rolling down her cheek. Not one to bite my tongue, I asked if there was anything I could do to help whatever was causing her tears. She smiled, reached out and patted my hand politely and said, �Sweetie, you already have. You remind me so much of my daughter. She died a few months ago, and this is my first time to come to the Mall by myself.� We sat for over an hour and shared stories of our loved ones past, a few more tears, some of joy, some of sorrow, and before parting, we shared a hug. Names or numbers were never exchanged, as they weren�t needed. Because anytime I want to visit with this sweet little stranger again, I know where to find her. She�ll forever live in my heart�or, at the Mall. Come to think of it, I never did buy anything today. That�s a first.
0 GAVE ME A LITTLE RINGY DINGY
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