“The New Girl at the General Store”

Friday, April 1st, 2022. 11:53 AM.

The New Girl at the General Store

I was at the general store a short walk from home a few days ago.

And noticed a new girl there.

She was opening some boxes for stocking shelves.

She had remarkable multi-colored hair in pretty colors.

And her face was pretty, too.

And she asked me if she could help me.

I mumbled something probably not very coherent as I walked by her.

I didn’t know what to answer her

Then, I turned and asked her a question about RIPTA bus cards that I’d recently read about.

She answered my questions

Then I stood in line at the check-out.

There were several people in line at Phoebe’s cash register.

So, the new girl opened the other cash register.

When my turn came, the new girl called out for the next customer.

“Yes, I’m coming.” I replied as I walked to her register.

“Hi again,” I said as I was putting my items on the counter from the red basket.”

“Hi,” she replied.

“It’s really important to me that I spend more than $5 and less than $6 so I get $4 back; so, I have bus fare to go shopping at Price Rite, later.”

She replied, but I don’t remember what she said.

As she was bagging my things, I noticed her name tag. Jay.

“Jay,” I said.

“That’s an unusual name for a woman.

My brother’s name is Jay.”

By this time my bags were ready to take them. And Jay’s hand was on her hip. And I was imagining that she may have been feeling that I had some little nerve making a comment about her name; and it being an unusual name for a woman.

“Thank you very much,” I said as she handed the receipt to me.

That happened about five days ago.

Today, I was in the store again.

And Jay was there. Her hair looked even more colorful than the first time I saw her.

And she looked even more special than the first time.

I only said Hi this time.

I noticed she wore eyeglasses.

And she was talking to another employee.

She seems to have a lot of personality and spirit.

A sparkling and lively young lady.

That reminds me

When I worked at The Roast House Restaurant at The Lincoln Mall back in the late 1980s, Arthur, my fellow dishwasher [he was retired from working on the railroad] used to sometimes call me mark the spark.

Jay is sparkling.

Her name got me thinking of a musical group from years ago:

Jay and the Americans

And I was imagining saying to Jay

“Jay, have you ever heard of the music group: “Jay and the Americans”?

Jay: “What about them?”

Mark: “Well, I was just thinking: You are Jay – and I am an American.”

Jay: “Hmmm. I have no idea how to reply to that, Sir.”

Mark: “My name is Mark.”

Jay: “Do you enjoy the music of Jay and the Americans, Mark?”

Mark: “Yes. I went to YouTube.com and listened to some of their songs.”

Jay: “Which ones did you enjoy listening to, Mark?”