A quick story at the mall

A piece experimenting with setting

Woven tapestries, each with a unique geometric pattern, hung floating under the sun, shielding a small woman and her items in the bins scattered about the stand. Walking over, I saw collections of feathers, pictures, small packs of candy inevitably melting under the heat. I needed a drink, and asked where I might be able to find one. She joked that I could try the river, but we both knew of the sludge that lurked just under it’s waters. I then was pointed to a vending machine put in (quote) “not too long ago”. “The company has been very accommodating” she said in a tone I almost felt rehearsed, but decided not to look into. I immediately regretted buying a Coke Magic (now in stores and outlets everywhere), as I figured I should keep my health within question. But damn, did it feel gratifying. The good-natured, pretty blonde woman in the commercial was right, “feel the magic when you feel the heat!”, she said. Is it strange to feel like someone in a commercial is hitting on you? I looked at the bottle, then back at the solitary woman sitting in her stand, then to the hundreds of bustling shoppers walking about the open-air mall on a Saturday afternoon. In many ways, it felt a bit overwhelming. I returned to the stand, only to see it’s caretaker peering at an ad for Colgate toothpaste, showing someone excitedly brushing away. “I envy her teeth” she said, laughing,  “Every day I sit in this corner, looking at this b***h’s teeth. Isn’t that sad?”. I didn’t say anything, but I did purchase a keychain, for no apparent reason.

The rest of the day was spent walking about the Navajo Ridge Mall in a sort of daze, a ghost haunting the crowds. I wondered about life in a Coke world, a Colgate world. Would everyone be happy? Who would win out in the teeth department? I found my car in the parking lot, took out my keys with the Arizona state keychain now connected, and left for home.