Evidence of Change edit

Don-"Jude, I'm going to the bank. Do you want to come along?"

Me-"Yes. Let me grab my purse."

and off we go.

This is the time of year we award scholarships to graduating High School seniors. This year three big checks totaling $6,000. We enjoy this yearly event and our non profit corporation that allows us to off set the first year of college expenses with cashier checks awarded to some outstanding applicants. The day is perfect. No traffic and now we are at the bank.

 Don- "Jude, take off your sun glasses, we're at the bank. You know the rules."

Me- "Done, Don."

This is the first time in awhile that I've tagged along to get the cashier checks. It's been at least three years since I did this necessary job. I notice that the bank is near empty. Only one teller and the person at the desk is making phone calls to lists of people about opening new checking accounts. She directs us to the teller. I miss the interaction with the person at the desk and the fun of telling our story of scholarship applicants to the person who sits at the desk. It seems now the tellers do it all and they charged us $5 per cashier check! I stand by quietly as Don does the transaction and makes sure the spelling on the checks is correct. I wait till it's done before I ask my unanswered question.

Me-"What happens if the person who's name is on the cashier's check dies?" I ask the teller.

Teller-"Have any of your students ever died in the past?"

Don- "Yes. Someone named Kevin. He hit that tree on South Tropical a few years back"?

Me-"Oh yes. I remember but he wasn't part of the scholarship."

Teller- "Well god forbid one of these students die. You can always take the check back and re-deposit it in your account. Just keep the receipt".

Me- "Oh that would be awful. We would just let the family have it. EEEE-UUUUUUUUU.....I'm sorry I asked."

Teller-"Will there be anything else?"

Don- "No we're good".

So we leave the bank and climb in the car and head to the supermarket. I don't care where we go, I just love doing stuff with Don, it's always an adventure.

Being that it's Wednesday there are lots of BOGO free items everywhere. Don likes to stock up on ketchup, mayo, bread and of course the Marie Colanders TV dinners. He is the food shopper in the family but today I put something in the basket, Buttermilk waffles. I was wasn't going to get a pkg. since that flavor wasn't in the freezer section.

Don-"Non sense. What do you mean they don't have buttermilk waffles".

Me-"Just as well I don't need them. They are really quite decadent. They have the buttermilk pancakes but they give me a stomache."

Don-"Follow me. I'll show you where they are"

and sure enough he found buttermilk waffles, only they were not Eggo, they are Publix brand. Don says:

Don-"Same thing. I use to work in a cannery when I was in college. We would put vegetables in cans and the same vegetables were packaged for different companies. Look we're going to save a dollar by buying Publix brand"!

Me-"Wow! I didn't even see them over there. Thank you. You are so smart!"

Now it's time to check out and I scamper after Don as he is very efficient and pushes the cart rapidly towards the check out line. This is his favorite thing to do, when he banters with the cashier!

At the end of the isle I don't see a cart coming at me and this woman and I nearly collide. She gives me a big smile and I feel as though I know her but she says nothing so I keep moving towards the check out.

In my mind I'm thinking, wow, what a beautiful woman. When she smiled her face went from no lines to all kinds of laugh wrinkles and they are so beautiful. I liked her hair too, dark with gray streaks, natural like a cat's markings.

Waiting on line to be checked out I peruse the "rag" magazines and busy myself looking up the latest dirt while Don banters with the check out lady. I put a magazine back and turn and see that beautiful woman with the beautiful smile and the hair cut I love. I think. Oh I can tell her how adorable she is, I got a second chance to just say it.

I smile and stare at her and she says:

Woman with the cat markings color hair "I know you."

Me: "Maybe a church group or a book club?"

Woman with the cat markings on her hair "I use to work at Bank of America. I'm retired now."

Me: "Oh yes. I remember, way back when I was going thorough my divorce. I remember you sat at one of the desks. I probably bled all over you! How did you ever stand that job."

Woman with the cat markings-"I know. I'm so glad I'm not there anymore."

Me-"Now they just have sales people at the desks and the tellers do all the work. Life changes."

Woman with the cat hair- "Yup they try to sell you something whenever you go in."

Me-"Well I'm so glad to see you again and I just want to say, you look really, really good. Especially when you smile. You have this laugh lines that are absolutely beautiful and I love your hair too."

Lady with the cat hair_"Wow! Thank you. That really made my day!"

Now we are back in the car. We only spent $30 on apples and stuff that we really needed. I say to Don.

Me- "This is going to make a really nice story for your mom."