Alice brought Wonderland.
I wasn't sleeping very well after a fall that I took which damaged my knee and hip and I was dosing myself with 2 painkillers every 4 or 5 hours.
It was now just after 1 o'clock in the morning and I realized that I only had one pill left so I got myself dressed and found my walking stick then headed to the local all night convenience store. I knew it would cost more than the Pharmacy but they were closed.
I had to walk fairly slowly, as the pain was almost unbearable if I stretched out my leg to make a good stride. The x-rays didn't show any fractures but they did show severe arthritis but I knew that, as I had suffered for a few years with it in my ankles, knees, hips, hands and it was even in my neck and elbows at times. The doctor told me that even with rest it may take a good 4 weeks before I felt improvement because of the bruising which was mainly around the bones.
Suddenly a young woman passed me pushing a baby carriage with a bag on top. I really wasn't paying much attention as I was carefully watching for potholes or things I may have tripped up over. Minutes later I turned the corner and I was on the main road just a few yards from the brightly lit convenience store.
I went inside and slowly headed straight for the area where they kept cold remedies and suchlike. I saw the Tylenol full strength and picked up a bottle then hobbled towards the front counter.
Stood at the counter ahead of me was a young woman with a baby carriage who was buying baby items and other personal things. I could see freshly dried blood on her right ear and a nasty fresh bruise around her right eye and forehead. Her hands appeared to be almost shaking and she looked bedraggled as if she had dressed in a hurry.
"$28.50 the clerk said." And she fished through her purse and brought out a twenty.
"Sorry, I made a mistake I only have $20, can you remove some items please."
"I have no idea what you want and don't want, lady." He said tersely and turned to me.
I handed him the Tylenol and paid what he asked then I turned to the young woman and noted the tears running down her face.
"Here's the $8.50. Cash this girl through I shouted at the clerk." So he took the twenty laid on the counter and my $8.50 and cashed her through.
"Oh thank you, thank you so much." She said as she pushed the small bag of goods into the baby carriage.
"That's okay young lady, that clerk needs to learn some manners." I said as I slowly hobbled out of the store. She followed behind and it must have been awkward with me moving so slowly.
"Do you have a problem with your leg?" She asked as we got outside and she slowly walked beside me and kept trying to sooth the baby with her little finger after she had dipped it in a bottle of something.
"Yes, I fell and banged up my knee and hip. Hopefully in 4 or 5 weeks it maybe better."
"I see, so that's why you are out buying Tylenol in the middle of the night?"
"Yes, I ran out of them, what a fool I am, I can almost buy 2 bottles for the price of this one, if I had gone to the Pharmacy last night. You look like you have had an accident too, I noticed around your right ear it must have been bleeding."
"Yes, but its okay now." She said quietly as she comforted the baby.
We kind of slowly walked side by side all the way back towards my apartment block and then just before I got to the main entrance I asked her where she lived or was headed. She didn't say anything and when I looked up I could see that she was quietly crying.
"Is there a problem, did you have a big bust up at home? Do you have somewhere to go?"
"I had to get away from Eddie before he killed me or harmed the baby, I can't go back there, he's drunk again and on drugs."
"Look I'm an harmless almost 65 year old man, if you need a place for tonight you can use my couch. You can't walk the streets with a baby at 2 o'clock in the morning."
"Oh thank you, you're so kind." She said and I assumed that she meant, yes. Well she must have because she followed me inside and then into the elevator.
The elevator stopped at my floor and I just hobbled a few doors down the corridor and I was home, she followed me inside and closed the door behind her. I went straight into the kitchen and opened the Tylenol and took two pills.
"There's cups in the small cupboard above the microwave and coffee or tea in the tall cupboard, you can help yourself if you want. There's also cereal and lots of milk if you're hungry."
"Oh I would love a tea."
"Then I'll make two, because I would love one too." I said.
"Thanks, I'll look after the baby until its ready." She said and went into the living room.
I got a few cookies out of the cupboard and put them on a plate while I was waiting for the kettle to boil. Then I made tea in the teapot and called out to ask how she liked her tea. She answered just black with one teaspoon of sugar so I put the plate of cookies and both our cups of tea on a tray then walked into the living room.
There she was sat on the edge of the couch facing me with her full breast exposed and half of her other one as she fed the baby.
"Oh I'm terribly sorry. I didn't realize you were feeding the baby." I said as I turned to go.
"That's okay, please sit down, I didn't mean to embarrass you, I'm just breastfeeding the baby, she's hungry, then she should sleep until morning. I forget that your age group used to hide behind closed doors to feed their babies."
"Yes, that was mostly true, many mothers would use the restroom if they were out with their baby."
"You don't mind me feeding her here, do you?"
"No, not at all. I'm Bob by the way." I said and every time I looked her way I couldn't avoid looking at her beautiful full young breast.
"I'm Alice and this little bundle of joy is Crystal."
"That's such a pretty name." I said.
"Just another few minutes and I'll have to switch over." She said and then she let the other side of her blouse fully open and for a few moments I was staring at two beautiful pure white breasts with two large dark colored nipples as she turned the baby around.
"Its no problem Alice, please excuse me I'm just not used to seeing anyone breastfeeding so I'll take my tea into the kitchen and let you have some privacy. I need to finish my dishes anyway." I said as I stood and hobbled into the kitchen.