THAT SHOPPING CART HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN... EDNA

THAT SHOPPING CART HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN...  EDNA

BY GLORIA FAYE BROWN BATES....  aka  GRANNY GEE                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

I went into Family Dollar Store when I finished my walk in the parking lot this morning.  I shopped for dog food in cans, a big bag to make do until we go to Sam's Club.

I found a 20 lb. bag of Gravy Train, with beef..liver.. chicken.  I, also, chose several flavors of Mighty Dog  in canned food.  I decided I would push the shopping cart across the parking lot to Skip's pickup when I came out.  It just gave me more steps for my day's walk.

I was overcome by an uncomfortable memory trying to surface in my mind... it was like the sun going in behind a cloud.  It came to surface as I opened the pickup door to put the things I'd purchased ...inside.

When I was fourteen, living with my mother... remember the room of empty bottles with the green colored liquid?  My mind was taken back to 'then'.  I didn't want to think about 'then', but.... for a few moments I had to.

One day when my beautiful mother had become the 'monster'... she went to town.  I was in school that day, I walked home to find my mother in the kitchen with Edna, my friend who lived next door.  Edna was a smiling, happy girl ... she loved my mother, too.

Edna told me that my mother had went to town into a store and purchased alot of groceries (my mother had been 'taking her medicine' and anyone would have thought she'd been drinking).  Edna told me she saw my mother walking down the sidewalk on Main Street... she began laughing as she told me that my mother had hit a bump in the sidewalk with the cart....she told me how my mom wasn't walking very 'stable'.... she and my mother began laughing as Edna told me what happened.

That shopping cart came out of my mother's hands, began to roll with a mind of its own!  It hit another bump... turned over.  Canned food was rolling out in the street, down the sidewalk!  My mother was doing the best she could to 'capture' those cans!  Edna said my mom was 'all down there trying to pick up those cans'!

Edna ran to help my mother, laughing as she ran here, there ... to scoop up cans of food.  She helped my mother to put all back into her shopping cart.  She even walked with my mother back home, pushing that shopping cart!  Edna always laughed to make things happier.  This time when my mother became the 'monster'.... she was a 'good monster'..... this time.  Edna made it all better!

'Why'...  my mom went to town, loaded a shopping cart full of groceries, to then.... walk home pushing that cart.... I never knew.  I did know that when Edna told me what she did to help my mom, to have the nerve to walk in public to help my mom get home safely......... it meant the world to me.  I've loved her to this day .... though I never see her.  I hope one day she reads this story, so... she can see how her kindness as a young girl affected me.

This is the memory that pushed its way into my mind this morning as I walked with the red shopping cart to Skip's black pickup.  It didn't feel good to remember that.... though I will say this.... thinking of Edna with her happy self... making that day better for my mother, myself... 'back then'.... meant everything to me. 

Thinking about Edna.... made me smile.  I won't ever forget her.  I can 'see her twinkling brown eyes' in my mind.  Such a kind person as a young girl... I bet you've been a kind person in your 'grown up' life.  I hope you've had a wonderful life, Edna.  I would love to see you.  :)))