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In My Day Meredith C. Olson, Rye NY Magda tightened her grip on the plastic grocery bag as she opened the door from the supermarket and stepped out under the awning. Raining cats and dogs again, Magda thought. She rummaged around in her worn, simple brown handbag and found what she was looking for- her plastic rain hood. She simply did not like umbrellas- hard to carry around, especially because the weather in Maine was just so unpredictable- another thing she didn’t care for. She had just wanted a couple of things for the house, and an instant dinner so she wouldn’t have to cook for herself. She brought one plastic bag from her cupboard at home just for this purpose. Instead, she had ended up buying everything she really needed to have and spent an exorbitant amount of money on her groceries. “Forty-eight dollars for groceries! Honestly! Do they think I’m made of money?” Magda grumbled to herself as she hoisted the additional two paper bags up until their perforated tops scratched the bottom of her rain hood. She began, rather unsteadily, to walk the pathway under the awning. At the end of the pathway was a group of young people. She winced as she looked at them- black, baggy clothes, dyed hair and piercings everywhere. They were smoking cigarettes, shouting and laughing at each other. What a disgrace they are, thought Magda. Where are their parents to tell them to dress properly and why were they sitting outside a supermarket smoking instead of doing their homework? That was not the way it was in her day. Back then, children behaved correctly. These children were gang members, or criminals waiting for their next victim, she was sure of it. Magda became frightened she might be just that and decided to get a little wetter in exchange for having her purse at the end of the day. As the rain started to pelt down harder, she began to climb the short yet steep incline to the car park where she had carefully found a safe spot for her dependable Cadillac. The handles of her plastic grocery bag began to stretch under the weight and shift of soaked paper ones. She saw the kids coming closer, moving in a big group. She took the first big step up the paved slope quickly looking back to see if the hooligans were coming any closer to try to steal her purse. They were certainly following her, and she did not know what to do. Hurriedly she took her second step, stumbled and slipped, the bags expelling their contents all over the pavement. She was on her knees, covered now in rainwater. She despaired as she saw two of the boys start towards her. One had a chain hanging from his black shorts creating an ominous noise as he approached. The other was draped with a backpack covered with ragged patchwork labels that Magda couldn’t read from that far away. She hurried to gather her items and put them back in the bags, but found the plastic handles had snapped with her fall and the useless paper ones were now soaked through. The boys came closer. They were walking faster now as Magda’s struggling turned to panic. Finally, they reached her. One boy stood in front of her and the other stood to the side. She closed her eyes and clutched her purse tightly, unsure of what to do and extremely frightened. “Ma’am? Do you need some help?” The tall boy in front of her spoke, and as he did so, he smiled. The other boy eyed the scene and ran back into the supermarket. When he re-emerged, he slipped out three fresh paper bags from his jacket, and began gathering Magda’s groceries in them. Magda was helped to her feet and then she stood there, dumbfounded and speechless. What happened to the young hooligans who were meant to rob her? “Let’s get you to your car. Which one is it?” Magda pointed to the burgundy Cadillac only fifty feet away. The boys each took an arm, and guided her up the slanted ramp and over to her car. They loaded the grocery bags in the backseat and helped her into the driver’s seat. She finally spoke. “I... ehh... thank you, boys.” “You’re welcome, ma’am.” The shorter boy said, “Grant I’m getting real wet out here. Let’s go.” Grant replied, “Yeah, let’s go. Goodbye. Be careful, the roads can be slippery.” The boys returned to their group and they walked away down the street. Magda sat in her car, the keys in the ignition, but she did not move. Then she said aloud, “That’s the way it was in my day.” She turned the ignition of the Cadillac and drove away. |