Slice of life - 3/7/09

We’re walking through the District at Tempe Marketplace (an outdoor mall with water and fire features, areas to sit and enjoy the day with good restaurants and boutique shops) .

Jeanette and Aunt Hazel are at least 4 stores ahead and I look back, “C’mon Ander,” I say.

He is inspecting the decorative colored glass in the large planter. “Don’t put that in your mouth, honey. C’mon.” He looks up at me, puts the glass down and runs toward me. I smile at his swinging arms and swaggering run. His eyes pass from me to behind me and he continues to run, just out of reach, into a store called Apricot Lane.

Stopping at the door and entering with more caution, he is drawn to the motorcycle in the store. A big sign says “No touching or sitting on the motorcycle.” Which I read to Ander. He points, wanting to badly to touch it, but doesn’t (good boy!) and moves further into the store, drawn by all of the clothes and accessories studded with sparkling and shining objects.

He wanders through, making gestures and grunts at objects. He gets to an African American mannequin near the dressing rooms. He circles around him, looks up and says, “Hi!” with his hand in the air. I love that he is so outgoing and slightly sad that the mannequin won’t be responding.

I try distraction, “Oooh, Ander, look,” I say, holding a sparkly belt. He comes over to touch it, he hugs it close and let’s go. He is drawn to the sunglasses display near the cashier. On his approach, he sees the cashier and heads toward him. Standing just outside the opening to the cashier area, Ander again raises his hand, “Hi!” The cashier responds, “Hi there.”

We are the only ones in the store and the cashier, a man named Nick, gets off of his stool and comes over. Ander starts talking, gesturing with his hands in a fashion that looks as if he is asking a question. He stops, hands in air with palms up, waiting for an answer. Nick responds, “You want some sunglasses?” Little did he know how much he had just become endeared to Ander, who loves glasses. Nick hands Ander a pair from the rack. I stop him, “I don’t want him to break those.”

“They’re free,” he says. “We’re trying to get rid of them.” Ander has grasped them and is trying them on. They are in the new fashion of being BIG and the looks like a fly. But is swaggering around, like a rooster with a harem. “Are you sure?” I ask in somewhat disbelief. Nick waves my concern away “yes” and returns behind the counter to watch Ander and the store.

Ander comes before the counter, “Up” he says to me, pointing skyward. I pick him up and place him on the counter. He talks, again, to Nick. This is bonding time, I can tell. I am simply the translator. Nick rolls well with the jibber jabber, answering and asking questions. I introduce myself and we shake hands. Ander then offers his own hand, takes a business card from the counter, and then hands it to Nick. It was priceless – classic. Nick and I laugh.

A bit more conversation ensues before Aunt Hazel and Jeanette appear at the door. “Here you are! Ready to go?” Hazel asks. I turn to Nick, thank him. Ander also says, “Ank u” and then, as I pull him from the counter, “Bye, bye!” waving to Nick.

Once on the floor, he makes a bee line for the door , sunglasses in hand, heading toward our next adventure.