A Strange Day

            My mother gets into the car and I am instantly dragged into the usual utterly dull small talk. "How was your day? I saw Dr. Mabley yesterday. Did you read the paper this morning?" I answer. I'm not particularly eager to do anything productive today, but its my daughters birthday today and my mum really wanted to get her something. I don't see the point. She's 21. After what seems like a lifetime, we finally arrive at Cherry Lane. "Mum?" I chirped. She was still in the car mumbling nonsense to her self. I stride over and gently grip her boney wrist and guide her across the crowded parking lot. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a mini school bus comes whipping around the corner heading straight for us! If I hadn't shoved Mum to the side at that instant, we would have been climbing the stairway into the sky. "How rude!" my mother wines.
            Later in the mall, we browse in a couple of stores. I stop in front Chapters and intensely inspect every single book on the main display table. Nothing new. My mind comes back to reality. Oh God. Where's Mum! She could be anywhere. She could be in The Bay. She could be in the food court. Heaven forbid, she could be in the lingerie store all by herself! I quickly gather my thoughts and begin to run over in my head what she was wearing. My vision shift to the left. I spot her white coat. Her grey curles hovering through the store like a ghost. I hurrry in after her. "What are you doing Mum?" I ask. "Looking for something for Chelsea." She replies cheerfully. I almost forgot. My hands gracefully run along the different fabrics as if they were a luscious waterfall of fresh spring water. How this world has changed so much in the past years. It feels like only yesterday I was baking muffins in the kitchen with my grandmother and my younger sister Mary. But now here I was, with a family of my own. How does time slip by so quickly?
            The store we were in seemed very fancy. My mother came across a black V-neck top with a low cut back and covered in sparkles. “This is nice.” Mum exclaims. I would never let my daughter wear something so provocative! “Umm, how about this one?” I point to two tops that are much more appropriate. "I like those." She says bluntly. Good enough I think. I notice, two younger girls in the store, they looked distracted and were continuously whispering to each other. I shook it off.
            While I was at the counter paying for the two tops, my mother was talking to one of the store clerks, “Those pants would look nice on you.” She said pointing to a pair of spandex pants on the rack. It was time to leave. We walk out of the store and I feel the strange again presence. Are those girls following us?