11/23/19: "I Know You" she said.

11/23/19
"I Know You" She Said
by Holly Winter


I met my sister Heather at the farmer's market and showed her where to buy the best organic ginger. Then we went to Herzog's and I watched as she picked out new hardware for her new cabinets. Antique silver pulls. Antique silver knobs.

In the grocery store we bought the things we forgot we needed, maple syrup and broccoli for me. Rare roast beef and cheese for her. Our sister-in-law, Sharon and 3-year-old great niece (Sharon's granddaughter), B were in the meat isle. B was so shocked to see me there that she paled.

"I know you." she said to me as we approached, which made Sharon look up.

I love bumping into family in the grocery store.

We greeted Sharon with a kiss on the cheek and I told Heather that B saw me when I visited her classroom at school and said, "I know you. You came to my house and brought forks and knives."

Heather laughed.

B stared at me, like children from my school do when they see a teacher outside the confines of learning.

"I know you." she said again. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back as she does when her class walks down the hall. She stared hard at me and I wondered if she was trying to place me: teacher or aunt?

"Yes." Sharon said. "You know her. It's aunt Holly."

B stood patiently as we talked, then asked to sit in the grocery cart where she stared at me, as if she were trying to memorize me.

As we parted ways, B yelled after us. "Goodbye Aunt Holly!"

I walked back and asked her if she would rather I kiss her cheek goodbye (a family tradition) or would she prefer a hand shake? (a school tradition.)

She stuck out her hand and I shook it.

As Heather and I headed to the registers, B yelled after us. "Bye Aunt Heather."

"Goodbye !" Heather yelled back.

"Goodbye" B yelled back.

"Good to see you!" Heather shouted over the shelving where Sharon had pushed their cart.

"Good to see you" her enthusiastic voice replied.

Heather laughed and said, "Sharon's going to kill me." then yelled, "See you soon!" over the shelves.

"See you soon!" the child's voice called back.

We checked out and I drove to Heather's house to see her new kitchen. Wood floor. Dark gray cabinets. Fancy fridge. The antique silver hardware she chose will match perfectly. The sink now looks out the back window of the house. Oh the possibilities a new kitchen holds when one's husband is a contractor.

We joined my nephew, Hunter (Heather's son), and made roast beef sandwiches with smoked Gouda  and Hunter told me about his chorus concert schedule. Nursing homes. Restaurants. Hospitals. UPAC. The high school.

I love living close to family.