My wandering mind

[Kip Powick]

The Little Box

(a short story by DK Powick- Calgary, 2001)

I was becoming frustrated. I had looked all day and still couldn't find what I wanted and when I really thought about it, I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. Tired and feeling disappointed I decided to go to the shopping mall's Food Court, have a sandwich and just people watch. It's rather interesting just watching people and wondering why they are at the mall, and what they might be looking for. As I looked from table to table I couldn’t help but notice a young lady and a little girl moving toward me. The little girl was skipping, as only a carefree child can, between the tables, a small bag clutched in her hand, and right behind her was the young woman, intent on balancing a tray upon which was a cup of coffee, a soft drink and small envelope of French fries. Suddenly the child stopped and careened into a vacant chair at the table next to mine.

"Here !" she said, and waited expectantly as the young lady lowered her tray on the selected table. A quick glance and I knew it was a mother and daughter on a special shopping trip. The pretty little girl looked across the table at her mother and asked;

"Do you think he will really like it?"

"I'm sure he will ", answered the mother, as the young girl kept opening and closing the small bag before her on the table. I thought that the young child had probably been at the mall to purchase a gift for her brother or father. I wondered who it was for, what was in the small bag, and secretly hoped I could overhear more of their conversation. The child kept looking in the small bag, her soft drink and French fries ignored, and grinned at her mother.

Her blue eyes sparkled and her golden hair shimmered in the overhead lights as she leaned across the table and whispered to her mother,

"Mommy, Daddy has never asked for one of these and..... and.... are you sure he will really like it ??"

Her mother smiled and whispered back, "I'm sure he will just love it and you know it will be very, very special to him because you picked it out and you decided, all by yourself, to buy it. Not only that, you used all your own money ."

The little girl just beamed, and she quickly took another peek into the bag. The mother smiled and sipped her coffee.

I was trying desperately to figure out what was in the bag when I suddenly realized that I now knew what I wanted to buy..... the little girl had, in a very subtle way, shown me what I should have been looking for. I had been wasting my time going from store to store searching for just another thing. The problem was that I didn't know where to go for my purchase. I looked back at the little girl, still holding her precious little bag, her lunch still untouched, our eyes met, she smiled shyly and without speaking I thanked her.

I left the Food Court and headed for a very exclusive store in the mall, my mind made up...I knew what to buy. I approached a clerk and asked her where I could find the item I wanted. She looked at me for a moment with a puzzled expression.

"Well, Sir," she said," we certainly wouldn't carry that in this store and I'm sure there are few stores in this mall that do. Even if you find a store that does, I would imagine the price would be out of this world. No, I don't think anyone in this area has what you want.”

I couldn't believe it! Certainly Calgary wasn't the biggest city in Canada and perhaps the selection in the stores wasn't as extensive as in a mall of a much larger city but I certainly thought one store here would carry it. Time was rushing by and panic began to set in. I had less than an hour left until the mall closed. I tried several more stores but all to no avail. Defeated, I started walking toward the huge exit doors. I kept wondering about the little girl and her gift. I didn't know what she had purchased for her father but I was sure I knew what she had so silently willed me to do.

As I passed the Information Booth on my way out I thought I might as well try one more time to find out where I could buy my gift. The elderly gentleman in the booth was busy totaling up the days Lotto Ticket purchases and failed to notice me. I coughed gently and he looked up rather abruptly, annoyed that I had interrupted his concentration. Quickly I asked him where I could find what I so desperately wanted and half heartily expected him to tell me that it was closing time and to forget it. Instead he smiled and leaned over the counter and whispered;

" There is only one place in this town where you can get what you want and you don't have much time!"

Quickly, and very methodically he wrote down the directions on the back of a used Lotto ticket and with a cheery wave sent me on my way. I rushed out the door and...........