Nancy White Kelly
I
recently experienced a close encounter of the strangest kind. It was late in
the afternoon. Relatives were coming
for the holidays and I needed a couple of small items from the grocery
store. Buddy was snoring in the recliner, so I grabbed the car keys and made a
quiet exit. I would be back in a jiffy, provided the creek didn’t rise or a
night stalker didn't choose me for his prey.
I
stopped at one of our community’s locally-owned markets. The chain grocery
store was ten miles away and the minor savings wouldn’t be worth the gas. A
cold blast of wind whipped the hat from my head. I grabbed it on the fly as I
hustled through the front door of the little grocery.
A
dark-haired young man was finishing up his purchase at the cash register. I
greeted him and the cashier with a nod and made my way to the bread aisle.
Moments later a male voice startled me. “Are you the lady I see in the
newspaper?”
I
turned around for a better look. It was the same man I had passed coming into
the store. His ruddy face looked wind-blown.
“Yes,
I write for paper,” I replied, puzzled by the unexpected interruption.
The
lanky man, probably in his late thirties, extended a loose, wristy handshake
while mumbling an introduction. I didn’t recognize the name or the face.
It
was then I got a whiff of his alcoholic breath. If somebody had lit a match to the fumes, the whole place would
have exploded. This guy was beyond
tipsy.
He
studied my face for a couple of
seconds. “You ain’t nearly as ugly as people say you are.” He paused briefly. “But you are a good
person. I have always known that.”
“Thank
you,” I murmured, not knowing what else to say to the uncouth stranger. I had a
feeling this wasn’t going to be a routine encounter with a loyal reader.
“ I am a Yankee,” the man volunteered. He continued without hesitation. “I love you.”
My
adrenal glands signaled for flight.
“Thank you,” I replied. My mind raced in an effort to figure how to exit
the store without causing a commotion.
The
man made a move toward me. He came so close that his nose almost collided with
mine. I recoiled thinking he was going to kiss me.
“Now
that we are in love with each other…” he whispered.
For
a second I lost my breath. Then I backed away and nervously laughed, wondering
what the rest of that sentence might be. I’ll never know.
“Nice meeting you,” I said as I hastened down the aisle without any semblance of a
good-bye. Out of the corner of my eye,
I saw the fellow hesitate briefly and then leave. I went to the store window and observed him staggering across the
parking lot. He crossed the busy highway and continued up the hill.
I have no clue where he came from or where he
was going. But, the next time I need a few items from the store, I’ll
take the recliner and send Buddy to the quick pick up store.
++++++++++++++
January 3, 2001
