NINETY THREE YEARS BOLD

It was a warm rainy morning, the dampness of autumn not yet chilling the air with its long cool fingers wrapped around the moisture of the day in a rich embrace.

I had opened the shop at 10:00 a.m as usual, but did not hold out much hope that I would be seeing a soul all day. School had started the week before, so the mothers who would normally stop in during the week, preschoolers in tow, were now tending to other business. It was going to be a long day and I closed my eyes to write a mental grocery list.

Moments later, it was a pleasant surprise to hear the gravel crunch of car tires, and the laughter following the sound of four slamming car doors.

They entered one by one, a smile wider than the next. Four women out shopping together, I was to quickly learn they were sisters. Their annual get together, they came from different parts of the country to visit and shop like this every year.

The youngest one was 70 years old.

With quaint old time names like Mildred and Margaret and Sally, they scattered to separate corners of the little shop. “Ooohs” and “aahhs” were heard through out, with a side of “come here, look at this!” mixed in. It was clear the sisters loved each other dearly, and missed each other immensely. Giggling like school kids themselves, they had all been school teachers, long since retired.

I smiled to myself as I sat on my stool behind the counter, my assigned position by the shop owner.

“Talk to them...” she had first lectured me ”...but don't be a pest. Say hello and make small talk, but not so much that it is distracting.”

I nodded my head in understanding. It was the easy going smile and polite welcome she had used on me when I first stopped there, three summers earlier.

“They like to know someone is there, but out of the way” she had continued, and she was right. I was soon to learn that there were two kinds of shoppers - those who bought outright and those who looked. The ones who looked invariably came back another time, for they were the particular sort who wanted to view every square inch of the place to make sure they had seen everything, before they plunked down their hard earned cash.

These women were of the first - they were out to shop and buy things for each other. Holding up tables clothes or linens above their heads, one would yell to the other “whatta ya think?” while someone else would answer “Too yellow!”

Every now and then each of them would make eye contact with me and smile as if to say “Oh, don't mind her, she’s the loud one!” then sheepishly look away, back to the task at hand.

They all had the same hair coloring; a silvery gray with just a tinge of fiery red, as they no doubt once had been. The youngest of the group wore a vibrant cherry colored lipstick, the accompaniment to her wide eyes lined with black eyeliner pencil. She had been the loudest of the crowd, and I thought it just a little odd that she was given such authority over them all. It was she to whom they would defer if they both happened to pick up the same item.

Finally they stood at the counter, lined up one by one. I rang up their purchases slowly and deliberately, taking time to wrap the more fragile items and delicate tapestry with care. Their eyes were shining bright at the thought of continuing on to yet another old country shop, but first they were going to be stopping for a bite to eat.

As I began ringing up the youngest and final shopper, the others sat on the bench by the doorway chattering lightly, waiting patiently. She had bought the most and was watching me with as I wrung up every item on the cash register, her eyes clear and looking three times their size behind the glasses worn for reading. She took them off briefly to clean them with the rolled tissue she had kept up her sleeve, a pink sweater that had the look of a well love stuffed animal.

She turned to face the waiting sisters and asked matter of fact... “Well, what do you girls wanna do for lunch?” They asked if I knew of a good Italian restaurant, and I offered the names of several in the area. Some were more expensive than others, and I alerted them to that as well.

“That's all right” one of them chided from the bench. “Mother's paying for lunch today!” They all laughed heartily and leaning in close together, either one of each end giving the other a high five.

“Don't remind me!” the woman who still faced me laughed, and whose eye lined eyes didn't blink when I told her the total was $278.65.

The one who I had assumed was the youngest of four sisters was actually the mother of three. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

“Ninety Three years bold, next week” she said sweetly as she gathered up her packages, amidst the laughter of her daughters and seeing my eyes pop, my mouth wide open.

“She gets that a lot” one then said over her shoulder as they all gathered around, encircling her in their arms, as they gaily walked out the door.

As I gently closed the door behind them, the shop once again was quiet except for the sound of the light rain tapping against the windows. I said a small prayer of thanks for the gift I had just been given. I hoped that I would age as gracefully.

“Excuse me, ma'am?” I hear a voice from behind me, startling me to sit straight up, lift my head off the counter, and look into the eyes of a teenage girl, somewhat impatient, but smiling nonetheless.

“Be careful...” she giggled. “Don't want the boss to catch you napping!” she whispered conspiratorially, and running her manicured nails through her long blonde hair with a flick, she was gone.