~ ~ ~ f r o m O C T O B E R 2 0 0 4 ~ ~ ~
Buying chocolates. A whim purchase Annoying child ahead of me, and two smiling parents. I do not like children. The kid is clearly not in need of another chocolate, but the cashier behind the counter knows the family and gives one away for free. What about me? Insult to injury, they strike up a conversation as I thrust my bag of chocolates onto the counter with an agitated sigh. Is this a store or a social hour?
“How is your summer going?” the mother asks the cashier. She is blond, with dark streaks showing through. Her husband wears glasses and smiles kindly, occupied slightly by the child and her free chocolate truffle.
“It’s going all right now,” the dark-haired cashier answers with a broad retail smile. “I had a rough couple of months,” she continues, and then in a half-whisper, “I had a miscarriage.”
Two feet from me, and not trying to hide it, she blurts this out.
“But I am over it. now.” She forces out another smile. “So what brings you to the mall tonight?”
The blonde mother pauses. “The maternity store.” It seems an odd moment to reveal a new pregnancy, but she does anyway.
The cashier’s smile doesn’t waver. I watch closely to see if it does. It still looks forced, but it doesn’t break. She hands me my change and I start walking toward the door. Out of the corner of my eye I see her walk around and give the blonde woman a hug.
In the mall I wonder which is more obscene – the cashiers rudimentary confession – so casual, so flippant (but who is anyone to say?) or the blonde woman’s maternity admission – should she have waited until a more appropriate moment? Of course none of it was any of my business, and even if it was I probably wouldn’t have known what to say.
