It was a cold and rainy day at Elvis World. The rain did not pour down, it was hurled from several different directions at some incredible angles and totally soaked everyone in its path despite umbrellas, rain slickers and running very fast.
Elvis fans run fast? Only if there is an Elvis sighting!
I was banished to the Northern Lower 40. In other words the shopping center that is located on the other side of Elvis World proper. Our guests must walk a far piece to view the two attractions and three gift shops that are located approximately a foot ball field length from the Plaza.
Only the young, the in-shape, the diehard fans and those who drive will arrive at this destination. When it rains like it did yesterday and coupled with the extreme drop in temperature - that is the formula for a slow day.
When and if people did make it to the shop I was stationed they had a tendency to stay and pretend to shop as they fretted about the increasing violent rain out side the plate glass windows.
Two ladies of a certain age (in their mid 60's) were moving around and examining every little thing and holding stuff up and shouting out in their Northern accents "How much is this???!!" They chuckled over the jump suits, they tried on t-shirts over their clothing, they fingered the expensive Lansky dress shirts with the miniature guitar buttons, they laughed over the "puffy" shirts, they examined all the refrigerator magnets looking for metal to test their strength. They asked millions of questions. They couldn't find a thing and had to be given directions for the bathrooms, the Christmas ornaments, the restaurant next door for coffee, the location of the Heartbreak Hotel, and finally after all the fuss and the oohing and ahhing they bought about $50 between the two of them.
"Oh the rain has not stopped! It looks like it will not stop any time soon. Look, I will go get the car and pick you up at the door. No sense for both of us to get wet. Where is the umbrella."
"Please, let me go. You have no luck with umbrellas, no luck at all."
"That was just a fluke! A silly umbrella!" She took the umbrella from her friend and headed out the door.
Her friend looked at me and sighed, "I should go, but she would never let me. Because she has a rain coat and I do not."
We looked out the window at her friend, fighting the rain, the umbrella turned inside out and about to be jerked from her grasp by the gusty wind and dragging her across the parking lot......IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!
"Oh my" the lady gasped and rushed for the door, "AGNES!!AGNES!! The car is over THERE!!"
Poor Agnes changed directions and headed back from the south end of the parking lot to the vehicle which was parked on the north end of the lot.
After the five minute ordeal of Woman verses Nature, Agnes re-entered the store and handed over the broken wet disfigured umbrella to her friend and said, "This is defective".
They laughed like banshees, straightened the wrecked umbrella, huddled under the lopsided purple protection from the rain, wrapped their arms around each other and bolted out the door and ran - well they ambled quickly - to the parked vehicle, now in the handicap zone waiting for them!
The love and affection they shared made me smile. All day.
5 comments:
Sounds suspiciously like me and my sisters when we are shopping together... :D Oh, except that we aren't all in our mid 60's. Yet.
What a perfect scene you painted with words, of such a touching moment. I swear I could see my grandma and her sisters standing right there in all their glory.
Mary I am awake at 5a.m. and you have already given me something to feel good about. In our hectic world it's hard to find or take the time to be a friend. But it's like an investment that pays off huge dividends. Have a great day!
Poor Agnes! But it sounds like these good ol' gals were having fun, and that's the important thing. You tell the story well, and I'm glad it brightened your day.
i hope i'm still laughing in the rain when i hit my 60's... great tale, beautifully told!
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