You see a little bit of everything, don’t you?

Last night I was outside emptying the trash and the only car on the street pulls into the parking lot. I thought, “Of course” and headed inside. As I passed the car I could hear the couple arguing. I waited inside and nothing happened. I checked the coffee and looked outside, the woman was standing outside the car and her purse was on the ground. He backed the car up and tires squealing left her standing there!

She came inside. I felt bad for her and began to talk to her about where she lived and who she could call for a ride home. She was rather expressionless, but she did say, “I can’t believe he did that.” After a trip to the rest room she used the phone to call someone. She said her parents were coming to get her.

Now I have a conundrum. She has to wait for her ride and I have to go outside to finish emptying the trash. But I can’t because she is inside. I can’t go into the cooler either. After a little while I some other customers come. Including a man who walks up to her and tells her something. Then he is at the register. He asked for some cigarettes and said to me, I’d be careful letting that woman in your store. She’s crazy.”

At first, that caught me off guard. “What??” When he repeated himself I realized he was the guy who left her. There was a problem with his card, he went back to her, nuzzled her neck, sweet-talked her for a moment and went outside. This is getting stranger by the minute.

She went outside to talk to him and another car pulled up. This was her Dad and little sister (?). I thought it was safe to go outside and finish the trash. Her Dad is asking her to get in the car but she is completely ignoring him. “Please get in the car. You called me to come get you. How did you wind up here? Will you get in the car?” All this time she is completely ignoring him. Actually, she is not saying anything, just standing there, looking at the man in the car.

Now I begin to wonder if she is OK and to get concerned about a fight breaking out. “Should I call 911? Father, help this situation.”

The younger sister is looking on, just shaking her head. I realized right then that this was not the first time they had seen this.

Finally, the man in the car backs up and drives away. Then the woman begins to argue with her Dad about buying a lighter. (She had bummed a cigarette from another customer.) He was not inclined to do so and she was yelling about her immediate need for this cigarette. Then they all silently get in the car and drive away.

What struck me was how sad this all was. A few hours later a friend came in and we talked about various things. I told him an abbreviated version of this and he said, “You see a little bit of everything, don’t you.”

Yeah. And sometimes there’s nothing funny about it.