Me: Sitting in a breakfast hotspot, cheerfully observing this table filled with old ladies who all had the same spun sugar hair, and I was all like, "aw, ain't they cute." They had these complicated canes with handpainted designs on them, and I couldn't figure out whether they were sisters or lovers or just VL in the future. One of them smiled at me, and I smiled back. That is how cheerful I was. One of them dropped her cane, and I thought about picking it up for her, but then I thought that maybe that was insulting, so I didn't.
And then they all laughed these dry, smoker cough-laughs, and I saw an arthritic claw pointing at me. "She looks so tacky!" the one wearing the most jewelry rasped in this I'm-trying-to-talk-quietly-but-my-friends-are-mostly-deaf voice.
They totally made fun of me. Old ladies.
4 comments:
a. i can't imagine you smiling at a stranger. why were you so cheerful? what is going on?
b. are you sure she didn't say "she looks so happy" and then they all started laughing because they know that life is meaningless and absurd?
i know! it was like the first time i've ever smiled at a stranger. i was beginning to have faith in the human race, then bam.
i didn't look that happy, so i'm pretty sure it was tacky. my smile was wan.
Whatevers, Sarah. You're an Iowan; it's in your blood to smile at strangers, pick up canes, hold doors, bring over cupcakes to all new neighbors, wear tacky outfits, and sneak smokes during a pregnancy.
wow. i wish an iowan would bring me some cupcakes right now.
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