'A tale of economic distress, compassion, charity, altruism, sensuality, latent lust, honesty, self-consciousnesses'

 WHAT HAPPENED IN BETWEEN MY HOSPITAL STRESS TEST AND 'F'THERS DAY- JUNETEENTH' MEAL TREAT..'

'A tale of economic distress, compassion, charity, altruism,

 sensuality, latent lust, honesty, self-consciousnesses'

I was walking across the parking lot on the 1st of 2-visits to Target seeking an audio -visual accessory to connect my computer video image onto my HDTV screen. An elderly woman, looking close to or older to my age was pulling an travel bag across the parking lot and she called out to me.

Because of my slight hearing loss, I had to ask her to repeat what she said. Now, at a closer distance, she asked, "Mister, Is there anything that you could give to me because I (yada.. yada..yada..).

Even though I had given $$ to those who looked in more self-abusive dire-straits, the old sistahs well-maintained appearance indicated the results of the hard-times of finding and maintaining shelter in this culture's economy. So, in my code of 'giving from the practical excesses of "my substance" ', I took  $3 of the $8's from my bill fold and gave it to her, as I added "You should more qualify your requests!".
 

In her distressed physical condition, her humble gratitude for the pittance I'd given her, was more centered on not having a male 'benefactor' on whom she could depend (particularly, here in VA [its own separate narrative!]), with allusions to me as someone more likely be the type she hoped to meet, which I disabused her of that fact as by relating that I'm married, tho'  a complimented 2-years older than her already revealed age of 70 (April '52).

I complimented her on her general  well-maintained condition and comely appearance even under the distressful circumstances she was enduring, presently, as I gave her a kiss of comfort on the side of her head.

Ol gal, once again lamented the dearth of those similar to me, but I grinned and chuckled to her (in my best psycho-puppy/Mad Assassin, Dirty Old Man voice), that all benefactors may not be what they seem, re-noting to her that the request for "ANYTHING THAT I COULD/WOULD GIVE TO HER" could have easily been in that opportunistic moment for an other, more than what was the intent of her requested plea.

With that, Ol Gal, in a less anxious and more coherent sense about her, realized how her plea could be taken by the more lustfully unscrupulous and chuckled with me in her embarrassment of what she may have received other than what she gave her humble gratitude for!

We departed in smiles, musing about that encounter and the alter-scenario that I had suggested could have happened with someone else!

------------------Post Script---------------------------------

One thing that this as a narrative is preferred to to what it could be as a fictional account, is that I'm not projecting a state of mind or intent on the characters. They are their own reporters and I'm the scribe for their reports they're giving. The atmospherics and trappings of their situation can be recognizable to others who've been observant of such conditions or circumstances, themselves.

Memorializing such moments that speak for themselves as that parking lot, speaks to the broader conditions than just the angst and its drama of the characters. It's recognizable as a common connection to those observants of life beyond their own self-obsessed, narrow interests.