Another Vignette from Life...

by G.Parker

The other day I was sitting outside of a large movie theater, enjoying the warm summer evening. A tall slim woman with short blond hair and bright yellow top came by, loaded with shopping bags and a little Chihuahua. She put her bags on the stairs and then put the dog down. It ran around like it had found paradise. I've never seen a happy Chihuahua -- only snippy, snarly ones.

It came over and grinned up at me, sniffing around my legs and wagging it's stubby tail. I was hesitant to pet it, not wanting my fingers bit. After a minute it wandered back to it's owner, and she chuckled.

"He's a friendly little guy," she assured me.

"I can tell," I said, still reluctant to put it to the test.

I watched it run around the plaza, and then the lady stood up and looked at me, a cigarette in hand.

"Do you have a match?" she asked.

"Sorry," I told her, shaking my head. "I'm afraid not."

"Darn."

She looked around the area, wondering who to approach, and right then a man came out of the theater, with shaggy light brown hair, scruffy T-shirt and worn jeans, a backpack thrown over his shoulder -- holding a cigarette.

She immediately headed his way, little dog following. Right as she got up to the man, he asked, "Do you have a lighter?"

I chuckled at the interchange, and wondered what they would do.

"No!" the woman said, obviously dismayed. "I was coming to see if you had a light!"

"That's why I came out here," he said. "What do you think we can do?"

Both of them looked around the square at this point, and then a woman who was sitting at a nearby table noticed them holding the cigarettes and waved at them.

"I've got a lighter," she told them.

Both of them looked relieved as they headed her way.

"Thank you so much!" The blond woman gushed as they gathered around the table.

I watched them get their cigarettes lit, thinking it was pretty funny how a habit could unite three total strangers.

See what you can observe in your world. See ya next week.