The Writers' Circle

This story is inspired by Grampa's "Fourbucks" and Benclarkes "Homeless": to build on the theme of the former and to offer an anti-thesis to the latter.

The Bag Lady

   "OK, Bob, this is it.  This is perfect.  Thank you for staying late to get this done.  I really appreciate it.  Now please go... and have a Merry Christmas!"  I heard him calling out from his office.
   "Alright, boss.  Merry Christmas!"  I yelled in his direction as I put on my coat and headed for the office exit.  This is Christmas Eve, for heaven's sake!  Why must we finish the project proposal tonight?  Now, I must get to the department store before it closes.  
   As soon as I walked inside the store, I heard the Christmas jingles, the boring tune that must be playing throughout Christendom at that very moment, the one about a white Christmas.  A white Christmas? In Hong Kong! What silly nonsense!  Such cultural insensitivity! I'm no scrooge, but people should know that over 60% of the world's population have never seen real snow in their life! I had a long day at the office and I'm dead tired.  No Christmas songs can cheer me up, not even Bing Crosby!  
   It was less than an hour before the store would close.  There were less than a handful of customers doing their last-minute shopping.  I strutted towards the aisle where a few days ago I had spotted an item that I wanted to buy for my mother-in-law for her Christmas present.   It was a nightgown of fine silk.  It was available in a full range of beautiful colors: ivory, lemon yellow, aqua blue, pink and teal green.  What color should I pick... for a woman in her seventies?  Oh, this is harder than I thought!  I was feeling a bit helpless when I saw a woman a few yards from me down the aisle.
   She wore a discolored white blouse over a gray skirt that showed patches, and her tennis shoes had seen better days.  Her hair was unkempt despite obvious efforts, her face weather-beaten and blotchy.  She might be fiftyish but she looked much older.  I smelt soap, the harsh kind with disinfectant.   This is a nice store.  What's someone like this doing here? Where did she come from?
   She picked out a pink dress from the display rack and walked to the customer service desk.  She showed the dress to the saleslady and whispered something.     
   "Of course, you may try it on, Lucy," the saleslady said.  "This way to the fitting room, please!"  She pointed.
   I spent the next several minutes deciding on the color of the nightgown and checking on some other items.  I was walking towards the service counter when I saw the woman returned from the fitting room.  She put the dress on the counter and whispered something to the saleslady.
   "Thank you for coming to our store, Lucy, and you have a Merry Christmas!" I heard the saleslady said.
   The woman turned around and headed towards the exit.  She was smiling from ear-to-ear and walking with a spritely gait.  This is one happy lady.  She seems to have transformed... I wonder what happened to her just now?   This is mighty curious!
   I brought the nightgown to the service counter.  The saleslady wore a name tag that read "Sandra C."  She processed the sale and as she was gift-wrapping the nightgown, my curiosity got the better of me.
   "Hi, Sandra, I'm just curious.  The woman you've just served, the one you called Lucy, is she a regular customer here?"
   "Well, Mr. Choi, the answer is yes and no..."  She must have read my name on the credit card.  "Lucy is homeless.  She lives on the street.  Every now and then she would clean herself up and come to the store.  She likes to try on some nice clothes.  It seems to make her happy..."
   (So she is a bag lady!)  "Has she ever bought anything?"  I interrupted.
   "No, she can't afford it."
   "And yet, you..."  I did not finish what I was going to say.  I'm being a jerk!  Sandra shot a quick glance at me as she continued the gift-wrapping.
   "Yes, I treat her like every other customer."
   "I see, it's company policy, right?"  Once a jerk, always a jerk!
   "If you mean our service pledges, yes-" she hesitated and then said without looking up.  "We have a set of service guidelines that prohibit discrimination of any kind.  But I also have my own personal mission..."  She was putting the final touches on the gift package.
   "Your own personal mission... would you mind telling me what it is?"  My curiosity was piqued.
   "Well, my mission is to make everyone who comes to this store feel there is love in the world..."  Looking up and handing me the beautifully wrapped package, she smiled and said: "Here's Merry Christmas to you and the ones you love."   It was a warm and cheerful and beaming smile.  Hey, I'm sure I have seen this smile before... but where?  
   "And thank you, Mr. Choi, for shopping at our store."
   "Thank you, Sandra, and Merry Christmas."  I turned around and headed for the exit.  As I was walking towards the door, a strange feeling came over me. The world seemed to have become more hospitable and interesting.  Oh, this is a wonderful world, so peaceful and full of love and human kindness...even the Christmas jingles sound less boring now.  
   I turned my head at the door and looked towards the service counter.  Sandra was not there.  In her place, I saw a big, chubby fellow all dressed in red, waving at me with a warm and cheerful and beaming smile.