Any Which Way to Smile

Picking up tampons from the shelf at Walgreens is almost a normality for me. Hearing my name called while picking up tampons is a whole new ring to my ears. I glanced over to see who it was--

Marie. Her name didn't come to me right then.
But her face sure did. I knew I recognized her...But from where?

She came up and buzzed her lifelong story in my ears. How her son went to jail. How she did everything she could to get new fences in our neighborhood put up.

THAT'S it. She was part of the homeowner's association. My dad was a part of that, atleast a secretary of sorts... And it was all just a pain in the ass, a way to get around paying these people to put up fences and make upkeeps in the neighborhood, things that taxpayers shouldn't be paying for. This point of the conversation brought her name to me. Because I was afraid to ask. But then I was afraid to keep talking. I tried to walk away, but she buzzed me again, this time, with questions.

How is your arm?

Huh?

Your arm... Is it better?

I thought... What in the world is she talking about? But I thought back real quick, and remembered-- Oh yeah. Her son knocked me in the arm with an egg one halloween.

That was almost seven years ago.

posted by Tim @ 7:02 PM