"What's the matter Mom?" My fourteen-year old daughter's question startled me out of my reverie.
"Nothing honey," I was just thinking about something.
"You're crying Mom. What's the matter?" She demanded.
"I'm not crying. I got some makeup in my eye."
"You're not wearing any makeup," she declared. "If you don't want to take me to soccer practice, I can get a ride with someone."
"No honey. It's OK. I'll be all right."
"Are you crying because daddy yelled at you again?" She demanded.
"Here we are." I said with relief. "I love you. I'll see you in a little while. I have to go and get the drinks and snacks."
Heather got out of the van and ran towards her teammates who were already lining up for their warm up exercises.
I turned the van around in the school parking lot and headed for the 7-11.
"Damn him," I thought. "He knew I wanted to go to my knitting class tonight. The least he could do was call and tell me he was going to be late."
It really didn't matter anymore. Danny seemed determined to spend as much time away from our family and me as he could. After 22 years of marriage we sort of just lived in a parallel universe. We lived together but we did things separately. He had his work and I had the kids. Well two of them anyway. Danny, Junior was away at college. Steven was a senior in high school and already doing his own thing. He was a good kid. Never got into any trouble. That really only left me with Heather. Our 14 year-old 'baby'.
I pulled into the 7-11 parking lot.
"Dammit!" All the spaces in front of the store were full. I briefly considered parking in the handicapped spot and decided against taking the chance. I pulled into a spot against the fence and as I walked towards the entrance I ran through the list of snacks I would need for the team. Fifteen non-carbonated fruit drinks and an equal number of packages of peanut butter crackers should satisfy them. The coaches liked a can of soft drink each and one for me. I decided I would also get myself a beer. I needed it. No one would see me if I drank it in the van while they practiced.
My reflection in the mirrored windows of the 7-11 startled me.
"I must be the only woman in South Carolina without a tan," I thought.
"You look like shit," I said aloud as I studied my reflection walking towards me. A passerby heard me and glanced over at me with a look of surprise on her face.
"Maybe she thought I was talking about her," I laughed to myself.
I continued talking out loud over the sound of my flip-flops slapping on the pavement. "You look like a frumpy, forty-six year old housewife," I said. "Your hair is a mess, your shorts are dirty and your shirt has a hole in the neckline where you clip your glasses on it."
I ran my fingers through my hair and entered the store. I decided it was easier to carry two, 12 packs of fruit drinks than to try to juggle the individual plastic bottles. Standing in line, I balanced the soft drinks, my beer, and the peanut butter crackers on top of the fruit drinks. I hoped that the twenty-dollar bill I held would be enough to pay for them. I didn't feel like holding everyone up while I ran back to the van to get more money out of my purse.
"May I see some ID please," the clerk said to the woman in front of me."
She was at least 30. He was trying to impress her. She produced her ID and paid for her cigarettes and beer.
He didn't ask me for my ID. He rang up the stuff and it came to $23.46.
"I'll be right back," I said. "I left my purse in my car."
"Here! I'll get the difference and you can repay me when we get outside," said a man's voice from behind me.
I turned to look at him. He looked vaguely familiar but I couldn't place him.
I must have had a puzzled look on my face because he said, "My daughter is on the same soccer team as yours. I've seen you at practices and at games."
"Thanks," I stuttered. "I'll pay you back as soon as we get to my car."
"Don't worry about it," he said and handed the clerk enough to pay for the balance of my purchase and for his cigarettes and a can of beer.
"Thanks," I said as he scooped up the bags and followed me out the door and across the parking lot.
I could feel his eyes looking at me. I wondered if my feet and the back of my white shorts were dirty. Could he smell my sweat? I hadn't washed or applied deodorant since I went to work in the morning. I was wearing an old bra and I wondered if the tag was hanging below the band. I hated to see that on women so I was always careful to tuck mine inside the band.
I wanted to get him from behind me so I slowed down to let him catch up to me.
"Another hot one," he said.
"Yes," I replied. "I'm sorry I don't know your name."
"It's Philip. Call me Phil. Phil Tunstall."
"Nice to meet you," I replied. "I'm..."
"I know who you are," he laughed. "You're Phyllis Downing and your daughter's name is Heather."
"Call me Phyl," I replied.
"Wow! That's neat," he said with admiration as the van's sliding door automatically opened when I pressed the button on my key chain.
"Nothing but the best," I laughed. "That's what two incomes does for a family. Its just more money to spend on toys."
I stood back and looked at him as he loaded the bags onto the floor of the van. He was wearing low quarter white socks and white sneakers. He didn't have a butt to speak of and his white shorts were baggy back there. He had hairy legs and I guessed a hairy back since I could see the hair on his arms continue up and under the armholes of the sleeveless shirt he was wearing. He was probably 35, I guessed. His little paunch made up for his lack of butt. I wondered if he had a hairy belly too.