"Help! I'm trapped at the mall ...
With my wife ... and I can't get away!"
That was all the note said. It had been stuck under the the rear window wiper of an SUV sitting on a show-case pedestal in the outlet mall.
"Yeah - jeez, no kidding. Can't imagine why he'd feel trapped. . ." Cody thought. "Nothing like a friendly trip to the mall to make any man feel trapped."
Cody looked at his watch - over two hours already. He supposed he should consider himself lucky - only two hours. Normally his wife could spend a whole day running between malls. Today they had managed to stay at the same mall - hell, the same store - ever since they got here. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing - yet. It might be the beginning of a long day if she still intended to visit her normal haunts.
He had taken advantage of the opportunity and walked the mall, joining the everyday walkers. He was getting good at recognizing them - they were the ones that came to walk, not shop. Dressed in jogging suits, headbands, and, most importantly, walking shoes, they were old. He blended right in.
It took fifteen minutes to make a lap - making the distance approximately one-half mile. He did three laps and then stopped to check in on his wife. She was still in line so he started another lap. He didn't mind. He had his iPod and that made the trip pleasant - 1400 songs randomly played. He heard songs he had long forgotten. He was in no hurry, just strolling along, eyes down, listening to Kenny G's wailing sax when suddenly he sensed a presence. He glanced up to find a twenty-something, blond-haired girl entering his comfort zone; moving and grooving to some music only she could hear. She pulled the plug on her iPod and indicated with her eyes that he was welcome to plug in and groove for himself. "Hummm," he thought. "California has come to the 'burbs." He slowly unplugged his own earbuds and plugged them into her unit, indicating for her to do the same with his. She did.
He was immediately bombarded by "Blue on Black" by Kenny Wayne Sheppard. Not what he was expecting and it showed in his eyes. She was watching him and seeing the surprise on his face, smiled and winked. He smiled back, not sure what she was hearing either.
They stayed plugged into each others iPod for about forty seconds and then she pulled the plug hers, winked again, and was off. He plugged back in and laughed when he heard Sheppard singing on his. They had shared something of each other and not a word had been spoken.
Cody watched her disappear into the crowd, pausing to memorize what had just happen. He wanted to remember this. Two strangers - one love. He was going to have to try that again.
He found is wife sitting outside the store, waiting on him. He didn't mention the iPod jacking. He didn't think she would understand.
*****************************************************
They walked the mall together, as much as possible anyway. His wife had the uncanny ability to disappear . . . he would walk ten feet and look around to say something and find that she was gone - distracted (or attracted - dependent on one's point of view) by another store. Cody slowed but kept walking, knowing she'd catch up eventually. He found a niche next to one of the corners of a store and stepped in, moving out of the stream of humanity. He was a people watcher and enjoyed areas where people congregated simply for the opportunity to observe. He found human nature fascinating - but lately the people were downright scary.
Two young 'adults' passed near his niche. It was difficult to tell which was the girl and which was the boy, if indeed they were paired as such. Both were adorned with more metal than most aircraft carriers. Each had four nose rings, but in opposite nostrils. Every ear had what looked like snakes (or opossums, he couldn't tell which) sticking out of them. One had jet black hair swept across the head, covering the eyes completely. It appeared to have been jelled because it didn't move. Cody didn't know how he (or she) could see.
The other one, Cody hoped it was girl because it would have made one butt-ugly boy, looked like a store mannequin. The skin was a pasty white with every orifice outlined in black mascara. She looked like a mime - with malice.
Cody realized that his people-watching pleasure had changed. Those people here at the mall were strange... scary even.
"Ready to go?" he heard his wife ask as she came up behind him, dragging two shopping bags.
"You bet. Let's roll."
