Cathy's Creative Corner: 3T - T.I.M., Trey, Thomas (Day Trey)
“Hmmmmm,” moans Trey as he yawns, stretches and kicks off the bedcovers. “It’s Saturday morning! No school! Yay! What to wear; what to wear? “
“Trey, you up now?” calls his mom. “Thought I was gonna have to come wake you until I heard you squirming around. You know what today is.”
Nooooo! Say it ain’t so, thinks Trey. “Is this grocery shopping day?” he asks as he tries to send up a silent prayer for this NOT to be that weekend.
“Sure is,” his mom answers. “The sooner you get ready, the sooner we can get back home.”
This was one of those times Trey wished he had siblings. Preferably, older siblings who could spend half the day with his mom shopping. The trip would involve going to the meat market to get just the right cut of beef, pork or chicken. Going to a produce market for fresh local fruits and veggies. And lastly, going to a grocery store for canned foods and drinks. Heaven forbid another store has a sale on a few of the items on his mom’s list. That’ll be another stop! She’ll waste $5 in gas to save $2 on groceries[MDM1] .
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll be ready - fast, quick and in a hurry,” Trey yells to the front of the house. “I wanna get back here, too. I’ve got things to do later.”
“Well, don’t think you’re gonna be rushing me. I like to take my time and make sure I’m getting the most for my money. We only do this every three weeks, you know.”
After showering and getting dressed, Trey was ready to go. He met his mom in the kitchen and they proceeded outside. “Make sure you put on the alarm. Can’t be too careful in today’s society,” his mom cautioned. “Used to be only low-life thieves broke into homes. Along with the thieves, today we’ve got drug addicts looking for drugs or what they can sell for drugs. Then there’re the people down on their luck just looking for food or clothes or anything that can provide them shelter. I feel sorry for them but ASK me for help. Don’t break in my house and take what you need. Know what I mean?”
“Yes, ma’am, I know what you mean and I did set the alarm.”
Admiring the view as they drove along, Trey asked, “Mom, why did Dad stop going with you to get groceries?”
“Boy, your daddy couldn’t wait until you got big enough to go with me,” she chuckled. Trey’s vision of older siblings on the shop-along vanished. Poof! She went on to say, “He says it’s not safe for a woman to be doing things alone that can be perceived as her having a lot of money with her.”
“But nobody carries money anymore,” Trey comments curiously.
“True,” she answers. “But that same debit or ATM card you plan to use to pay for purchases is the same one crooks will make you use to drain the money out of your account at the bank.”
“Ohhh yeahhh, I see what he means.”
After checking her list over about three times, Trey and his mom are ready to check out. “Did you get everything you wanted, son? Don’t think I didn’t see you put in the Oreos and Snickers and Gatorade!”
“So I did get past you with the ice cream?” Trey smiled.
“No, I put that back,” his mom laughed. “You know we’ve got more stops to make before we head home.”
“Okay. Imma go scan the parking lot for shady looking people. Might have to take somebody down for thinking about jumping my mama.”
“Boy, you couldn’t fight your way out of a paper bag with a hole in it. Who you gonna take down?” Before he could rebut his mom’s remark, Trey heard a girlish giggle come across the aisle divider. He dared not look to see who it was. If he’s lucky, it’s someone he doesn’t know and she doesn’t know him.
