P A S S AG E T WO (1) T h e re w as so m e t hing in the e ld e rly w o m a n ’s beha v i or t h at cau g ht m y e y e. A lt h ou g h s l ow g estu r e s , and unsu r e of s t e p t h e w o m an m o v ed w ith d e l i be r a t ion, a nd the r e w as n o he s i t a t ion in h e r g est u res. S he w as as g o o d as an y one e l s e , h e r m o v e m en t s su g g ested. A nd she h a d a j ob to d o . (2) I t w as a few y ears a g o, and I had ta k en a pa r t - ti m e hol i da y - season j o b in a v ideo s to r e at t he l o cal shop p ing m a l l. From ins i d e the s t ore, I ’d be g un to see t he peo p le r u sh i ng by outs i de i n t h e m a ll ’s c onco u rse as a r i v er of hu m an i t y . (3) T he e l de r ly w o m an had w a l k ed i nto the s to r e al ong w ith a y oun g er w o m an w ho g uessed w as her dau g hte r . T h e dau g h t er wa s d i sp l a y ing a se r io u s c a se of i m pa t ie n ce, ro l l i ng her e y es, hu f fing and s i g hin g , chec k ing her w a t ch e v e r y f ew se c onds. I f she h a d po ss essed a le a sh, her m other w ould h a v e be e n f as t ened to it as a m eans o f tu gg ing her a long to k eep s tep w ith the r ush of ot h er s hopp e rs. (4) T he ol d er w o m an de t ac hed f rom the y oun g er one and be g an to t i ck throu g h t he D V D s on the ne a re s t she l f. Af t e r the s li g ht e st h e s i t a t ion, I w a l k ed o v er a n d as k ed if I cou l d he l p h er f ind so m e t hin g . T h e w o m an s m iled up a t m e and show e d m e a t i t le s c raw l ed o n a c ru m pled p ie c e o f p a pe r . T h e t i t l e w as unus u al and a b i t obsc u re. C l e a rly a p e rson l oo k ing for i t k new a l i t t l e a bout m o v ies, abo u t qu al it y . (5) R a th e r t h an r u sh i ng o f f to l o ca t e t h e D V D f or t he w o m an, I as k ed her to w a l k w ith m e so I cou l d show her w he r e she c ould find i t . Loo k ing bac k , I think I w an t ed to e n joy her co m pany for a m o m en t . S o m e t hi n g about her de l ib e r a te m o v e m en t s r e m inded m e of m y o w n m othe r , w h o ’d p as s ed away the p r e v ious C h ri s t m a s . (6) A s w e w a l k ed a l ong the back of t h e s t o re, I na r r a ted its f lo o r p la n : old t e l e v is i on sh o w s, a c t ion m o v ies, ca r toon s , s c ie n ce f i c ti o n. The w o m an see m ed g lad of t he un r ushed co m pany and c asu a l con v e r sa t io n . (7) W e fou n d the m o v ie, and I c o m pli m en t ed her on h e r cho i ce. She s m iled a nd t o ld m e it w as one sh e ’d e n j o y ed when she w as h er s o n’ s a g e and th a t s h e ho p ed he wou l d e n joy it as m uch as s h e had. Ma y be, she s a id w ith a hi n t o f wi s t ful n ess h e co u ld e n joy it w i t h h i s o w n y oung ch i ld r en. T hen, r e l u c ta n tl y , I had to r e t u rn t he e l d e rly w o m an t o her k eep e r , w ho w as s t i ll t a pping h e r foot at the f r ont o f the s t o r e . (8) I esco r ted the o ld e r w o m an to the q u eue a t t he c as h re g i s ter and t hen s te p ped back and l in g e r ed n e a r the y oun g er w o m an. When the o l der w o m a n ’s t urn i n l ine ca m e, she p a id in c as h , coun t ing out t h e do l la r s a n d co i ns w i t h t h e sa m e su r en es s sh e ’d d is p la y ed e a r l i e r . (9) A s the ca s hi e r tuc k ed t h e DVD i nto a p l a s tic ba g , I w a l k ed o v er to the y oun g er w o m a n . (10) “ I s t hat y our m o m ? ” I as k ed. (11) I ha l f w ay expe c ted h e r to t e ll m e it w as none of m y bus i n e ss. B u t pos s i b ly be l ie v ing m e to be t o l e ra n t of h e r i m pa t ie n ce, she ro l l e d her e y es a n d s a id, “ Y ea h. ” T he r e w as ex a sp e r a tion i n her r e pl y , ha l f s i g h and h a l f g roa n . (12) S t i ll w a t ch i ng t h e m othe r , I said, “ M i nd so m e ad v ice ? ” (13) “Su r e,” s a i d t h e dau gh te r . (14) I s m iled to show her I w asn’t c r i t i c i z in g . “ C h e r i sh he r ,” I sai d . A nd then I ans we red h e r c u r i ous exp r e s s ion by sa y in g , “W h en s h e ’ s g one, i t ’s t he l i t t le m o m en t s th a t ’ ll co m e b a ck to y o u . Mo m en t s li k e th i s. I k no w .” (15) I t w as true. I m issed m y m o m s t ill a n d re m e m b e r ed wi th m e l a nch o ly c l a r i t y the m o m en t s w hen I ’d used m y i m pa t ie n ce t o m ake her l i fe m is e ra b le. (16) T h e e l d e r ly w o m an m o v ed w ith h e r d e l ib e r a te s l o w ness back to h er dau g h t e r ’ s c u s t o d y . T o g e t her t hey m ade the i r w ay to w a r d t h e s t o r e ’ s ex i t. They s t ood t h e re f o r a m o m en t , s i de by s i de, w a t c h ing the ru s h of t h e hol i day cu r r e nt and f or t h e i r pla c e i n i t. T h en t he d a u g hter g la n ced o v er and m o m en t a r i ly re g a r ded h e r m othe r . A nd s l o w l y , a l m ost re l u c t a n tl y , she pl a ced h e r a r m w ith appa r en t ly unaccu s to m ed a f fe c tion a rou n d her m o t he r ’ s shou l de r s and g e n tly g uid e d her b ack i n to t h e c ro w d s .