Sitting Outside Macy's

Yesterday at the mall Macys had a special deal. If you donate $5 to a charity that of about 10 or so pick from you get a coupon of a type that allows you to get 20% off your purchases today. That original $5 is just a deductible investment to get a bigger return.

Different organizations would have a representative or representatives outside entrance doors hawking, trying to get you to donate money to them. Where I let Anna off at one of the entrances that is connected to the parking lot was a Cherokee County fire truck (we were are in Cobb County). A fireman in his uniform approached Anna first and she shelled out five bucks which he in-turn gave her a Macy’s coupon good for today.

I parked and went inside the mall and sat on a bench at a door that led to Macys. Anna and I had already made plans. I was to meet her at that bench or within sight of it, in case the bench was taken.

The bench was only half taken. It was taken by a Spanish grandmotherly type woman.

I pulled out my Stephen King book and started reading. She eyed me over suspiciously and continue to sit there. After a couple of paragraphs I looked at my surroundings. In the big Macys door were several young girls in ballet costumes. Each girl had a brochure in her hand and when someone came in the doors one of the little girl would approach that person and tell them the what benefits there are in donating five dollars to their organization. And if they got a taker the little girl would lead him over to a table where a grownup lady would take their money and give them the coupon.

The little girls belonged to a ballet group. By the display sign on the table they next performance will be Swan Lake, I think, and after that, it will be nearer to Christmas and it will The Nutcracker Suite.

Between hawking their brochures they would practice their steps, different stances, running and taking a flying leap in good form, place one leg straight out, pirouetting, standing on their tip toes and make tiny tiny steps turning. An older girl, about 10 or 11 was showing a younger Spanish girl how to stand on her toes and make the tiny little steps while turning around. The grandmotherly type Spanish woman sitting next to me said in a Spanish accent, “Juanneta! Don’t stand on your toes like that!”

I looked over at the grandmother type and she was eyeing me without smiling. I could tell she was trying to decide if I was a dirty old man eyeing her little granddaughter.

About that time Anna came out of Macys. She had a package she just purchased and left it with me while she went back in to the jewelry department.. I’m glad Anna did that. It showed I was there waiting on my wife, not to snatch up her little granddaughter and run off and disappear in the crowds laughing.

I continued to read and the grandmother looked more relaxed and even looked at me once and smiled when one kid trip over another kid.

I was thinking, if they are practicing Swan Lake and dancing around us – was one of us, either me or the old lady suppose to be Ugly Duckling?