~ Christmas Hamsters and the Tote-er ~

Kids...They keep us accountable..all my best lessons ( I RE-learned from someone under four feet tall ) and nine years of age....gotta love 'em.

Christmas Hamsters and Toddler Mucus

 

 

Soft blobs of snow covered the asphalt in a surreal fashion as quickly as it appeared.  Traffic crawled, so slow, cars seemed almost ballet like as they slid back and forth.

 Hunching forward I tensely gripped the steering wheel of my once trusty Peugeot, in part mesmerized by the snow globe effect, in part shivering from no heat.  A sniffle and croupy cough from the backseat, followed by the blare of the car horn behind me, brought me back to the scene.

After a bit of brake pumping, wheel turning, teeth clenching and prayer of course, I managed to enter the parking space at a seventy-degree angle.  Okay, so it was more like two parking spaces!

 

 Scooping my croupy lil’ over clad toddler, I plodded through the whiteness to buy what I could and get home before dark.

Outside snow covered wreaths lay behind rows of tiny shrubs laden with cheesy plastic ornaments across from a long line of poinsettias that had seen better days.

Inside loomed end -cap displays, full of toys, candy, Christmas plush and dolls. Perfume and cosmetic gift sets, garnished with metallic streamers and over-sized red felt bows, sparkled in splendor, despite the gritty slush in every aisle.

 

There are lean times, and then there is the “crunch,” a time in life where the financial pressures of daily life far outweigh the strength of the shoulders that must bear them. 1992 was such a time.

It may have very well been 1993, but I know it was Tuesday, three days until payday and four before Christmas.  I am a giver by nature, in an average sort of way. “A dollar here”…. “pocket change there”. My daughter always being the “ tote-er “ of the offering, referred to loose change as “munniez” and bills as “BIG-bucks “took absolute delight in generously giving my money.

 

 

Milk…. bread…peanut butter..jelly….one small box of the cheap-O’s cereal ….and most important of all….a bottle of cough-syrup for the tote-er. She sat stuffed into the shopping cart little legs dangling overwhelmed by her pink snowsuit with its hood hiding most of her wild fuzz.  She wiped her runny nose with her sleeve and leaned her head waaaay back looking up and batting at the glittery silver stars that hung from the ceiling.  She shifted to the side and squeezed a trio of plush hamsters that leapt into a dance and high-pitched rendition of “jingle bell rock”…I giggled and squeezed the button on several others until the obnoxious hamster – ensemble brought the glare of our fellow customers in line as well as the cashier and stock clerk nearby.

 

I sorted the coupons I had, and I felt my face flush as the last hamster froze mid-song and the cashier said

 

“ with your coupons you just saved three dollars…that will be , thirteen ninety –eight please”.

 

 Having exactly three dollars and fourteen cents in my checking, and not a single WIC voucher left, me to put back the jelly, milk and Cheap-O’s cereal.  And placed the ten-dollar bill, “my last”, in the cashiers palm. Her smirk took on the same skewed angle as her Santa hat as she rolled her eyes, sucked her teeth, and voided the milk, jelly, and cereal. I fought back tears and the urge to jack-slap that look off her face!

 

Mumbling something not so nice about Christmas, with my eyes to the ground, I pulled my croupy youngster out of the cart and hustled her towards the door.  The sound of her little legs clad in nylon, rhythmically whooshed trying to keep up almost drowned out….THAT  DREADED BELL SOUND.

 There she was…. between the door and me, with her bell and red bucket. Looking needy as she possibly could, stood THE… Salvation Army bell ringer. Thought I had made it past the gumball machines …until the tote-er screamed...”Mommy, WAIT we have to give the lady some munniez ! “. 

I stopped in my tracks, never looking up at the lady, with her worn shoes.

 

“Sweetie, Mommy doesn’t…. have, any money “, I whispered under my breath.

 

“ But mommy the lady just said, …. “you saved three dollars”!

 

I watched the pink furry pom-poms of  the tote-ers hat swing  pendulum –like , for what seemed an eternity , as I struggled for a response. Much to the mixed disgust and amusement of nearby shoppers within earshot, I spent a good-three minutes explaining the concept of coupons to my three year old.  Resorting to the “ how we can save money with coupons…yet not really …have…it” spiel,

 the tote-er and I deliberated the matter to the point where, it sounded stupid even to me.  I came up with the sure-fire way out!

 

“ Sweetie, I have no cash.”

 

“ Why can’t you write the lady a check?”, she brilliantly replied.

 

I surrendered, not to the snickers of my co-shoppers or the bell… but to the fascinating genius of my runny-nosed three-year-old and her big brown eyes. So …you guessed it, I wrote that lady a check for three dollars.

The sniffling tote-er cheerfully licked the mucus from her upper lip and dropped the check in the red bucket.  Somehow, I felt so much richer on the ride home.

 

 

 

 

Blesssssssss 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2007 J.Hampton [email protected]

Reviews

[Carole]

Jen, I can't believe I have never read this before. It was to my chagrin! I am so glad I hopped on over to search for a special piece to review. I just happened to click on this one and I will tell you, I am RICHER having read this piece. Those hard times were really RICH times. WOW! This gave me a prized peak into what it was like for you and your precious family in 1992 and special insight into your heart. This was superbly written lady! A real prize. Thank you!

Hugs, Carole

[Ama May Cooper]

A very sweet little tale of the funny things children pick up on at possibly the worst moments. There minds always seeming capable ofthoughts we often pre miss or pay no heed to , wonderng excitedly over to new possiblities despite them being impossible to the avrage person.
I loved this, and the wonderful description that portrayed the scene of stress, and time consuming the anger when people look down on you for things as simple as this. Very nice well done

[Fabian G. Franklin]

WHY is it better to give than to recieve? Because in giving and in sacrifice we become most like that to which we pray. Wonderful write. God bless.

[Touché Armada]

Brings back memories, I can remember being that tot well I little more than a tot but not much more, and mum doing all she could. It's a tough lesson and a good one as well.. There is one Christmas I will never forget, so little and yet so much, each other is much.

[Emily B]

Tis the season. I came back by to re-learn a lesson or two. :)

Blessings.

[TL Boehm]

awwwww this is Adorable....OH it made me weepy. that's what this place is all about anyway. the writing - taking a break from scrounging the crawler cache for my own random posts I saw the title of this and had to come over to read. I was not disappointed. Charlie's got some great voices under this roof....I'm so glad you're staying.

[Raef C. Boylan]

The mechanics of it were good too.
It's a moving story; the mother of the story had raised the kid to be sweet and generous...which backfired into embarassment. Ah well - we live.
I enjoyed how real the scene with the singing hamsters felt - again, a nice thing that backfired...people who were already glaring at you were then treated to you feeling low. Horrible times.
I've been a cashier before, in a very poor area where nearly everyone had milk coupons and usually not enough big-bucks for their shopping...I'd be sensitive and considerate to their feelings...and often thrown a few freebies into their bag (not exactly generosity, since I didn't own the store - but it put my job at risk, so in a way it kind of is).

Good write.
Still warming even though Xmas has passed now.

[Emily B]

I've made a few of those trips through the grocery store. Adding up every purchase in my head, knowing I only had so many 'big bucks' and not much munniez, either. It's hard to argue with someone who only knows to give--that's not a bad trait in a human child. I loved this write.

[Rain]

What a cheerful, lighthearted,"don't you just love then" Christmas shopping story. You have to admit, with a head clogged up with mucous, her persistance and wit, won out. lol. I love little hidden treasures like these. A good story lasts longer than a good time..always. Loved it. Rain..

[Antony]

This has all the makings of, "give until it hurts" the only true satisfaction in giving is to give until it hurts, you are blessed and I love your story. Hope you and yours have a beautiful Christmas.
Tony