Suspision of Society

Pulling into the post office parking lot I took notice of the line that was already forming in the lobby and reminded myself, yet again, to never come to the post office during the lunch hour. Gathering my mail I double checked my purse for keys and locked the door as I stepped out in to the parking lot. As I entered the building I hardly took notice of the people and sighed at the length of the line I was now going to have to wait in. Keeping my head down I fiddled with my mail and pulled out my phone just to have something to do that would keep me from having to make eye contact with anyone; I'd been having a rough day at work and the last thing I wanted was be forced into small talk with a complete stranger. I held my purse even closer and lowered my head as far as my neck would allow as two men entered and got in line behind me. I was so focused on keeping myself from making eye contact or having to smile at anyone that I almost missed a small black woman approach and ask if she could borrow my phone.

Taking a moment to process that someone was talking to me I just gaped at the woman as she smiled and spoke again: "Miss, canna borrow your phone. I needa place a call and dey aint gotta pay phone."

The shock I felt that someone was talking to me and had asked me a question must have registered on my face as she continued to grin at me with all her teeth showing. I took in her bright pink lipstick that stood out against her dark skin and the vibrant teal scarf around her neck that didn't really match her deep red shirt and velvet purple pants. She carried a large black fake leather purse, that had seen better days, and despite the bright and sunny weather she held an umbrella. In her other hand she carried a plastic grocery bag that's content was a mystery due to the knot tied neatly at the top. As I took all of this in she just continued to smile and look at me while patiently waiting for me to answer her question.

Feeling that her bright pink and toothy smile was contagious, I smiled back at her while handing over my phone without speaking a word. As she carried on her conversation with a cab company my heart wrung for this sweet old lady who had enough spunk to ask a complete stranger to borrow a phone. Her smile never wavered as she requested a pickup and delivery for herself.

Checking the clock I took note that I still had forty minutes of my sixty minute lunch break left and began to formulate a plan in my head. When she handed my phone back to me I spoke to her for the first time and offered her a ride.

It was her turn to be shocked and as she did with me I just smiled and patiently waited for her to respond. "You don't needa do dat. I'ma just goin to Kroger across da way."

Reassuring her that I didn't mind and convincing her that it was just across the way she shook her head and mumbled how nice it was of me. Finishing up my mailing we headed out to my little car while I asked if there was any where else she needed to go. Teasing her that I was to be her free taxi service for as long as she required my assistance she nervously bent down into my passenger seat and pulled her purse close to her chest as she buckled her seat belt.

Within minutes we were pulling into a parking spot in the Kroger parking lot. Remembering that I needed to pick up a few things myself I climbed out of the car with her and took in the look of trepidation that now crossed her face. Giving her a toothy smile that matched her own just minutes ago I explained my own need to visit Krogers and watched as relief caused the wrinkles around her mouth to sag just a little more but were almost immediately deepened as she broke out another smile of her own. Coming around the car in a quick shuffle she took my arm at my elbow, she was almost a foot shorter than I, and began sharing with me her excitement that she had come to Krogers to buy a phone: "... onna those pay before ones dat I can use to call me a cab with."

At the mention of a cab she looked up at me and winked. Not intentionally following her to the stand with phones I watched as her eyes took in the display and saw the second confusion crossed her face. She turned to me with eyes wide, the spunk I had seen in the post office and parking lot had been replaced with uncertainty and it made her look even older. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and although I wasn't certain if they were shaking before her hands now shook.

Prying my eyes from hers I took in the display of phones and quickly digested the information in front of me. Thinking that she would need something simple and user friendly I recommended a small flip phone and picked up a correlating phone card with 150 minutes. As it had in the parking lot her face changed in an instant, the wrinkles around her mouth and eyes deepening as she gave me one of her toothy smiles. She snatched up the box and card in my hand with triumph, straightened her shoulders, and with a bounce in her step she made her way to the self check out. Again, not intentionally following her I felt drawn to this woman and the need to make sure I followed my good deed through to the end caused me to fall in line behind her with my own needed items completely forgotten.

Knowing that she would need help activating the phone and minutes I lead her to the front of the store and took her bag from her hands. I opened her bag and reached for the box focusing on my task of getting this woman set up with her phone. Within seconds a manager approached and firmly asked what I was doing?

Startled at his presence and stern voice I simply gawked at the man confused as to what and why he was asking. Clearing his throat he took the phone box from my hands, confusion coming to me in waves, and handed them to the sweet old black woman with a tight smile. I vaguely registered her shocked and confused face that quickly reverted back to the pink toothy grin I had come to know so well in the last 20 minutes.

"Whatch you doin young man, dis woman is my gaurdian angel and you treatin her like some criminal. She helpin me so if you please give dat box back to 'er. Lord knows I needa, dats why he sent 'er to ma."

His mouth opened and closed like that of a fish as the woman snatched the box from him just as she had done from me only minutes ago. Flashing him yet another pink toothy smile she proudly handed the box in my direction and pushed her purse back up onto her shoulder.

Involuntarily a chuckle came busting forth from my gut and I doubled over. With my eyes squeezed shut I let out a laugh loud enough for all of Krogers to hear. I imagined what our situation must have looked like and felt pity on the manager as he stood there completely taken aback at the woman's exclamation. He saw a white woman in a suit take a bag from a small mismatched old black woman and whether or not he understood the situation he acted on a society driven impulse. I don't know if it was the smug look on the old woman's face or the disbelief and shock on the manager's face but I found the whole situation highly amusing. My laughter didn't cease as the manager took his leave and the smile on the woman's face, to my surprise, only got bigger. Looking somewhat like a dog with a tail between his legs I could tell the manager's pride had been punched in the gut and all the fight was knocked right out of him.

Getting back to the task at hand I set up the phone and offered another ride. No amount of convincing that I could take her somewhere else stuck as the spunky old black woman insisted on making her first call, she called a cab company. Double checking to make sure she didn't need anything else I bid the woman goodbye and made my way out to my car to head back to work.

Checking the clock on my dash I saw I had just enough time to get back to work with in my sixty minute lunch break and reflected over the last hour. The woman had called me her guardian angel and the manager thought I was a thug dressed in a suit. Laughing to myself as I turned up my stereo and lowered my windows I felt compelled to pray for the old woman and the manager. Remembering the defensive nature in the managers voice and body language a sad realization damped my laughter and gaiety of the situation; my good deed was seen as theft and for the first time in my life, that I can remember, I was prejudiced against for being white.

The drive back to work was solemn as I prayed for both people involved and gave thanks that it was me that offered the spunky woman a helping hand and not someone who had ill intentions in mind. It seems in our society today that it's true that no good deed goes unpunished.

What a depressing thought.