Distractions and Diversions*
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 5:17 am
((Continued from: Mi Familia))
How did I ever get talked into this?
The thought passed through the mind of Ricky Callahan as he wandered idly through "El Mercado", a Mexican supermarket that his mother often purchased a majority of their weekly groceries from. How she'd ever talked him into running to the store to pick up a few things was beyond him, and as he'd almost expected, "a few things" had turned into a basket-full. Throwing a bell pepper at random into the hand-held basket as he walked by, he didn't even bother to examine the other produce to see if there was a better one.
Ricky hated shopping of any kind, especially grocery shopping in this ghetto-looking supermarket. Self-proclaimed supermarket, anyway. It was hardly bigger than a convenience store, really. It was run by Alfonzo Lopez, who just happened to be a family friend of the Callahan's, and had been kind enough to allow his mother to set up a charge account at the store for whenever she sent one of the boys in after this or that random forget-me-not needed for dinner.
Turning the aisle to find two rather wide Hispanic women rambling on in Spanish and effectively blocking the entire aisle as they did so, Ricky sighed a bit. The women were turned where their baskets took up the entire length of the walkway, and to put icing on the cake, what could best be described as the herd of children that was divided amongst the two women ran aimlessly up and down the aisle, further blockading it. Glancing down at the list in his hand, he mentally crossed off sugar. Matt could eat his cheerios plain, 'cause there was no way Ricky was going down that aisle.
One of the women cast him a sidelong glance before continuing to chatter away to the other woman, never showing any intentions of stepping out of the way. Sighing forelornly, Ricky turned around and exited the aisle from the direction he had come. Looking over the list once more, as well as the items that had accumulated in the basket he currently toted around the store. He'd decided that the last item on his list was unattainable except by drastic measures, and quite frankly, Ricky wasn't willing to get verbally assaulted -- or eaten alive -- by the two fat women blockading the walkway for his brother's sugar.
Instead, Ricky meandered up to the counter where Alfonzo was standing. The Puerto Rican man lit up into a smile that seemed to overtake the entirety of his face as Ricky appeared. Alfonzo was a good guy. He was a hard worker, and he spent a lot of time down at the store now that he was once again a bachelor. Sad story, really. He and his wife had a nasty divorce. He got the house, she got the kids. And the car. And half his money. Poor guy really got the short end of that stick. Despite everything, Alfonzo seemed straight about the entire incident, as though it didn't bother him.
"Ricardo!" the mustached man greeted him with enthusiasm, "You find everything okay?"
No, there's two cows blocking the middle of your store.
"Always, sir."
Alfonzo virtually removed the basket from Ricky's hands and began checking out and sacking the items that had accumulated inside. Ricky smiled gratefully, though in all honesty, he just wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. He detested doing errands, especially errands like these.
"So when are you gonna come work for me?" Alfonzo inquired with a grin.
When I die.
"You know me, man. I'm jam-packed with school stuff right now. Maybe this summer or something? Baseball's taking up a lot of my time right now, I doubt you'd want me down here flubbing things up and not being able to show up for work, you know?"
Way to go, "Ricardo". Lie yourself out of another one. You have all sorts of free time, you just don't want to do it. Why don't you just tell the man that you don't want to work in this backwater Mexican marketplace? You're too damned nice for your own good.
"I hear ya, I hear ya," Alfonzo mused, before quickly adding in, "Your total's $21.87. Charge?"
"Yeah," Ricky mused, reaching for the piece of paper Alfonzo offered up and signing it, "Thanks man."
"Anytime," Alfonzo stated coyly.
Grabbing the sacks that the groceries had been placed in, Ricky bid the Puerto Rican cashier adieu before heading for the glass door of El Mercado and out into the beating sun of another day. He still had a lot to do, so needless to say, he was rather glad that none of the food he had purchased would perish anytime soon. Sighing a bit, he headed to the blue truck sitting in the parking lot of the shopping plaza and unlocked it long enough to toss the groceries inside.
Knowing he had chores to do, but desperately wishing to avoid them at all costs, Ricky found his attention lost on the random shops and bistros scattered throughout the shopping plaza. Once again locking the truck, Ricky meandered back toward the outdoor mall, walking idly down the sidewalk whilst looking inside the various shops. He wasn't ready to finish those errands yet, and besides, they didn't have to be done right this second. He could always stop for lunch or something, right? Something... anything to get away from these monotonous chores for a while. Ricky eyed the shops and restaurants, waiting for something of interest to jump out at him.
How did I ever get talked into this?
The thought passed through the mind of Ricky Callahan as he wandered idly through "El Mercado", a Mexican supermarket that his mother often purchased a majority of their weekly groceries from. How she'd ever talked him into running to the store to pick up a few things was beyond him, and as he'd almost expected, "a few things" had turned into a basket-full. Throwing a bell pepper at random into the hand-held basket as he walked by, he didn't even bother to examine the other produce to see if there was a better one.
Ricky hated shopping of any kind, especially grocery shopping in this ghetto-looking supermarket. Self-proclaimed supermarket, anyway. It was hardly bigger than a convenience store, really. It was run by Alfonzo Lopez, who just happened to be a family friend of the Callahan's, and had been kind enough to allow his mother to set up a charge account at the store for whenever she sent one of the boys in after this or that random forget-me-not needed for dinner.
Turning the aisle to find two rather wide Hispanic women rambling on in Spanish and effectively blocking the entire aisle as they did so, Ricky sighed a bit. The women were turned where their baskets took up the entire length of the walkway, and to put icing on the cake, what could best be described as the herd of children that was divided amongst the two women ran aimlessly up and down the aisle, further blockading it. Glancing down at the list in his hand, he mentally crossed off sugar. Matt could eat his cheerios plain, 'cause there was no way Ricky was going down that aisle.
One of the women cast him a sidelong glance before continuing to chatter away to the other woman, never showing any intentions of stepping out of the way. Sighing forelornly, Ricky turned around and exited the aisle from the direction he had come. Looking over the list once more, as well as the items that had accumulated in the basket he currently toted around the store. He'd decided that the last item on his list was unattainable except by drastic measures, and quite frankly, Ricky wasn't willing to get verbally assaulted -- or eaten alive -- by the two fat women blockading the walkway for his brother's sugar.
Instead, Ricky meandered up to the counter where Alfonzo was standing. The Puerto Rican man lit up into a smile that seemed to overtake the entirety of his face as Ricky appeared. Alfonzo was a good guy. He was a hard worker, and he spent a lot of time down at the store now that he was once again a bachelor. Sad story, really. He and his wife had a nasty divorce. He got the house, she got the kids. And the car. And half his money. Poor guy really got the short end of that stick. Despite everything, Alfonzo seemed straight about the entire incident, as though it didn't bother him.
"Ricardo!" the mustached man greeted him with enthusiasm, "You find everything okay?"
No, there's two cows blocking the middle of your store.
"Always, sir."
Alfonzo virtually removed the basket from Ricky's hands and began checking out and sacking the items that had accumulated inside. Ricky smiled gratefully, though in all honesty, he just wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. He detested doing errands, especially errands like these.
"So when are you gonna come work for me?" Alfonzo inquired with a grin.
When I die.
"You know me, man. I'm jam-packed with school stuff right now. Maybe this summer or something? Baseball's taking up a lot of my time right now, I doubt you'd want me down here flubbing things up and not being able to show up for work, you know?"
Way to go, "Ricardo". Lie yourself out of another one. You have all sorts of free time, you just don't want to do it. Why don't you just tell the man that you don't want to work in this backwater Mexican marketplace? You're too damned nice for your own good.
"I hear ya, I hear ya," Alfonzo mused, before quickly adding in, "Your total's $21.87. Charge?"
"Yeah," Ricky mused, reaching for the piece of paper Alfonzo offered up and signing it, "Thanks man."
"Anytime," Alfonzo stated coyly.
Grabbing the sacks that the groceries had been placed in, Ricky bid the Puerto Rican cashier adieu before heading for the glass door of El Mercado and out into the beating sun of another day. He still had a lot to do, so needless to say, he was rather glad that none of the food he had purchased would perish anytime soon. Sighing a bit, he headed to the blue truck sitting in the parking lot of the shopping plaza and unlocked it long enough to toss the groceries inside.
Knowing he had chores to do, but desperately wishing to avoid them at all costs, Ricky found his attention lost on the random shops and bistros scattered throughout the shopping plaza. Once again locking the truck, Ricky meandered back toward the outdoor mall, walking idly down the sidewalk whilst looking inside the various shops. He wasn't ready to finish those errands yet, and besides, they didn't have to be done right this second. He could always stop for lunch or something, right? Something... anything to get away from these monotonous chores for a while. Ricky eyed the shops and restaurants, waiting for something of interest to jump out at him.