The kindnesses of strangers…
By lex
Posted on December 26, 2005
Scene – Nordstrom’s, Pentagon City Mall, Arlington, Virginia
Time and date- 1230PM, 26 December, 2005 – the second busiest shopping day of the year
Players – Your humble scribe, his number one son, a men’s department clerk
Clerk: How can I help you?
YHS: We’re looking for a suit for my son, black or charcoal, size 40 regular. It’s something of an emergency. When might we get it altered?
Clerk: Normal alterations are due back on the 4th of January. Would you be needing it sooner?
YHS: My sister died on Christmas Eve. Her memorial service is tomorrow. He has nothing else to wear. I…
Clerk: We can have it for you by 3:00 PM this afternoon. Will that do?
YHS, SNO: Yes, thank you. Thank you very much.
I will never see him again. I will always be thankful. His name was Otis and for what it’s worth? I doubt we share the same politics.
Sometimes it is useful to remember who our friends really are, and who are our enemies. It is so easy to forget, or conflate the two.