Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Rouge Cheeks

 A few days ago I found myself at the local shopping mall, and after an hour found that I was a bit hungry since I had neglected to eat lunch before leaving the house.  Generally I eat at home so that eating junk food will not be necessary when shopping... but I digress.  So, I ordered a cup of those tiny weenies with cheese wrapped up in some dough.  A VERY greasy choice of snack, and I sort of regretted buying it and EATING every last one in the paper cup.  Ugh.
*note to self: do not make that choice again*

After ordering the tiny weenies in a cup, I wandered over to a bench and sat down next to a woman older than myself and we struck up a conversation, her asking what I had ordered.  I showed her what was in the cup and offered her a few, of which she declined.

She was quite a bit older than I am.
She had a few teeth missing and LOTS of rouge in the shape of circles on her delicate-skinned cheeks.
There was a cane at her side.
She was the loveliest person I had seen in some time.
Somewhere in our conversation I learned that she is 86 years old; was there with a friend who was walking the mall for exercise; has a daughter, because she mentioned her son-in-law; and she loves cats.
 I told her that we have dogs and she asked me what kind.... so I shared that we have two boxers and I told her that although I love the dogs that I am over having pets, but my husband says he will probably have at least one dog even if he lives to age 80.  She asked me how old he is and I shared that he is now 65.
She then said that she had cats until she was 80 but that after her two cats died, which she loved to watch because they acted like an old married couple, she decided that she would not have any more pets.

Next she shared that she had at one time had a black cat.
The cat lived twenty years and then one day it died....it was a cold, icy winter day, and she didn't know what to do with the dead cat so she phoned her son-in-law.  He told her that it was too cold and icy to dig a hole and that they would have to wait until it warmed up outside for him to be able to stop over and take care of the deceased cat....
She asked him what she should do with the cat and he told her to put it in a box outside on the porch so it would stay cold.
She told him she couldn't do that and he asked her why.
She told him that the cat was an indoor cat and had never been outside.
He said.... MOM!  The cat is dead.

I guffawed at her story as did she, tossed my weenie cup in the trash, told her I had enjoyed talking with her and walked away as her 'walking the mall' friend returned to sit with her.

Don't you just love talking to people you have never met before?


2 comments :

  1. It probably made her day, having someone take the time to sit and talk with her....and listen. xo

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  2. Loved this Diane . . .
    Exactly the kind of thing I do . . .
    LOVE talking to strangers . . .
    The Winnie's in the cup thingy . . . probably not me . . .

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