Around three o'clock, I decided I'd completed as much work as was needed, as acting mayor of d'Oasis. I walked out my office door and told Dorothy Jean, "You know it's a crime not to accept the gift of such a beautiful day. I believe we won't be getting any more calls today...so, let's just lock up early and head out for some fresh air." The child beamed at my proclamation and hurried herself up by saving and closing whatever she'd been typing and grabbed her tennis shoes out of the bottom drawer of her desk. After slipping them on, she practically skipped as she followed me out the door. I smiled a little brighter as I watched her float toward the town square.
I decided I would drive over to the mall with the window rolled down. The fresh air against my face was simply glorious. It's about a twenty minute drive to mall and I used all of that time to dance in my seat as the radio played sweet uplifting tunes.
I wanted to get to the mall because they were having a sale at the SAS store and I was due a new pair of comfortable shoes. The young folks turn their noses up as they pass my favorite shoe store but they really don't know what they're missing. As I pulled into the parking lot, I picked out a parking spot away from the front entrance. My heart wanted to enjoy more of God's glory with a nice walk to the entrance. I also parked on the opposite side of the shoe store because I knew further exercise would do me some good - and a little window shopping along the way never hurt a body. Such bright colored and happy clothes greeted me from each window - begging me to come in and take a look - but I had a mission and I didn't quite have the funds right now for frivolous purchases. Mind you, I did stop by the Food Court for a cool drink.
Some concern found its way into my soul as I passed under the skylights in the center of the mall and my eye caught sight of one single dark cloud making its way across the blue sky. I tried to think nothing of it, but I knew I hadn't even considered needing to bring my umbrella with me from the car. I thought, well it's only one little cloud.
I forgot all about that cloud as I paced toward the SAS store and passed familiar faces along the way. We d'Oasians are a friendly lot and I received many smiles and "Hellos." Yes, God had placed such serenity in the hearts of many with this beautiful day.
Walking into the SAS shoe store, I noticed that my favorite sales person was behind the counter. Libby Kindred has been working at the store for as long as I can remember and she always knows exactly what I need when I enter her domain. She looked up from some paperwork and gave me such a welcoming smile. "Miss Fedderhopp! It's so good to see you! We've gotten some new designs in that I think you will love. They look practically like any other shoe and still provide the same comfort and support." I gave a little clap with my nod of approval and we got down to business.
These new designs were so pretty. I knew I would have to control myself and not leave the store with five pairs of new shoes. Keep your mind set Peggy - you only came in for one pair. I'd tried on three different pairs when I told Libby that I really needed a pair of deep blue shoes - almost black, but definitely blue. Libby's forehead crinkled a little and she told me she would go look in the back and see what they had. I had tried on a black pair, a mauve pair and a red pair. I was still singing to myself as I waited for Libby to return with a blue pair.
That is when another cloud came thundering over. A little beep came from the mall's intercom system which always signaled an announcement of some sort - mall-wide. "Meemaw....Meemaw Doolittle! Could you please come retrieve your daughter from the fittin' rooms of the 5-7-9 store! We do not...I repeat...do not have a thong in her size!" My jaw hit the floor with the weight of a hundred bulls marching through Pamplona. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard - and for the whole world to hear!!
"Libby, I'll be back," I yelled into the store room. "If you find a pair in my size, just put 'em to the side and I'll come back for them!" I ran out of the store, knowing exactly where I needed to head. The mall world around me was a blur as I dashed through the building. I stopped so quickly in front of Lane Bryant, I almost fell over my own feet.
Turning into the store, I could see two saleswomen standing outside the fitting rooms in the Lane Bryant. They caught sight of me and sheepishly pointed at the door to a fitting room that was overflowing with sobs. Those poor girls looked beside themselves. I gave them a look of "I'll take care of this" and they edged away from the door and back to the counter.
"Alma!!....Meems (correcting myself), I know you're in there. I just heard what the whole world heard too and I am appalled!! Pull yourself together honey and let's go take care of this!"
A quiet voice greeted me from beyond the door. "I .... just .... can't. I ... just ... can't."
"Now, as my oldest and dearest friend, you should know that we can't just let this happen and not pay it some heed." Then, I heard a little whimper - an intake of breath - and the door to the Lane Bryant dressing room flew open.
I could tell that Meemaw had been weeping, but had wiped the water away and now stood tall in front of me. We both knew what had to be done. "Now, as we walk, Meems, I want you to take deep cleansing breaths because we don't want to make this more of a spectacle than it has already become." She gave me a little nod - eyes still forward - a smile, and lead the way out of Lane Bryant. "You girls can bag up anything Meems had picked out to buy and we'll be back shortly," I said to the girls behind the counter who were staring at us incredulously.
As we exited Lane Bryant, Teensy came breathlessly running up with an Aunt Annie's cinnamon pretzel clutched in her hand. The sight of food in her hand made Meems and I pause. Behind us there was a small scream. Effie had just run up and caught the same sight Meems and I were now staring at. "Well, I had a taste for something sweet. So, I buy these and lick the sugar off the sides. I just can't help it."
"Never mind that, what are we gonna do," asked Effie.
"We are going to march down to that store right now is what we're gonna do," I replied.
"Effie, will you walk with me and hold my arm? The run from the pretzel stand wore me out," asked Teense.
"Sure thing," said Effie and the four of us began our journey toward the 5-7-9.
"1...2...3...4....5....6....7...8....9...10...Can you believe it, Peggy? Can you actually believe it? That girl at the 5-7-9 does NOT know what she has in store," exclaimed Meems all in one breath. "I mean what would get into a person to do such a thing? And after we were gifted such a glorious day! If my child wants to go in and try on clothes in a store she can't possibly wear, well that is her right as a human being. That gal wouldn't have known if Tania Dean was finding success in a diet and simply wanted to find clothes to strive toward. I mean, we all have dreams, don't we? This country was built by dreamers!" It was everything I could do to keep pace with my nearest and dearest.
"Let's slow down just a little bit, 'cause we're almost there. We wanna stop out front and take another little breath before heading into battle." I gave Meems a smile with my little joke. She got it, though she didn't want to. We got to the front of the 5-7-9 store, the four of us clasped hands and took a breath together.
They have that little bell that sounds when someone has crossed the threshold of the entrance. As soon as it sounded, all eyes turned toward the front of the store. I knew, immediately, who had made the announcement as a girl with her hair bleached beyond repair made her way toward us. I'd seen the child many times. Her family once lived in d'Oasis but moved to the outskirts of town when this daughter of theirs was thrown out of d'Oasis High School for continuous cheating on exams. Of course, I should have known her the minute I heard her voice. Katryana Medder Blunt was well known by everyone who came across her path.
"Hey Meemaw!" she screeched, looking just as pleased as she could - all the while missing three of her front teeth.
I quickly stepped in front of my nearest and dearest and my arm flew out in front - palm toward the beaming child who stopped in her tracks. The smug joy with which she greeted us melted and she turned her head a little, the way a dog's does when it hears an unfamiliar noise. "Miss Blunt, I can only guess that your intercom announcement was a horrible mistake made by you when you lost all of your senses for a few split seconds," I blurted. "We have come to escort Miss Tania Dean to another clothing establishment, as yours seems not to employ anyone with any sort of social skill. The child in that dressing room has already dropped a dress size in the past two weeks and she came here looking for clothes that would suit her new visage once her goal had been accomplished."
"But as we can plainly see," came Meemaw's voice from behind me, "you have no interest in helping out a soul which has been revived with hope. Tania Dean come on out here! We are escaping the clutches of this establishment. And you - Miss Blunt - can be assured that your employ here will go no further once I have spoken to the general manager of this 5-7-9 store. Tania Dean ... I said now!!"
Tania Dean had heard everything that took place and decided it was best to comply and follow in the footsteps of her mother. She regally exited her fitting room and smiled as she passed the other 5-7-9 customers and particularly Katryana. She made her way to the line up of friends who stood daring Miss Blunt to make a move and we all turned, in tandem, to gleefully exit.
We'd almost made it to the exit when my nearest and dearest pivoted on her toe and headed back toward Katryana Blunt. "But...before we go, I will need to purchase five lacey thongs in a size 5!" Katryana's mouth dropped open and I could see a glint in Meems's eye. One of the other salesgirls quickly came to the front with the thongs and handed them to Meemaw.
"These are on the house," she said, beaming up at Meemaw.
Meems turned around, walked back to Tania Dean, Teense, Effie and myself and handed each of us a new thong. As she started out of the store, she simply began twirling that thong around her index finger as if she were in a parade. The sun poured back into all of our spirits and we followed suit. The five of us walked the length of the mall giggling and twirling our thongs around our index fingers.
Later, we heard the 5-7-9 store sold out of size 5 thongs that day and that women had been traipsing around the mall the rest of the evening twirling thongs around their index fingers. I can also tell you that Katryana Medder Blunt is now cleaning out classrooms on the graveyard shift at the Dyein' For Style Beauty School. It was the only job she could find after the incident.
I was so proud of my nearest and dearest.
Until tomorrow ... don't be tacky .... Peggy.
