Sunday 16 January 2011

When Shopping Can Be Fun............

Hullo ma wee blog,

Walking along a line of shops at Edinburgh Fort shopping center, we're heading to Waterstones where I'm about to spend some Christmas book tokens.  From behind a noise approaches and I hear a voice call out,

"That's far enough ahead Helen!"

At the same time a child rushes past in a whirl of hair and skinny legs. She's exuberantly pushing a small pram with a doll in it, so fast the front wheels are off the ground. She's wearing a brown suede coat with a fur trimmed hood but the hood is down and the coat is unbuttoned. She has blonde hair trailing from beneath one of those Peruvian style knitted hats, the ones with ear flaps and woolen pig tails that hang down - or would if she wasn't moving so fast. By the time I register these details and how small she is she's about 15 feet ahead of us.

From behind her mother calls her name again, a bit louder and elongated by exasperation to an upwardly sliding note.

Helen pulls up short and with a twirl turns to face her Mum and us. Beneath her coat she has a pastel pink jumper and a green skirt above blue tights that end in tan suede boots trimmed at the top with fur.  There she stands, momentarily frozen, beaming a smile back that says "I hear you" as she doffs her Peruvian cap with all the style of a Shakespearean actor on the stage. She plops her hat perfectly back on her head and giggles as she waits for her Mum to catch up.

She's a yard of nonsense, three feet of mischief. I may never have seen her before and may never see her again but my world today is a better place because she's been in it.

Thanks Helen......

Listening to Keane, 'Everybody's Changing

 

10 comments:

coastkid said...

Thats how i feel after every visit to see my nephews and niece...reminds me of our own youth!

Alistair said...

Too true CK, too true.......

DB Stewart said...

Nice piece of writing. Thank you.

Alistair said...

cheers dbs.

Rebecca S. said...

Yup, sometimes children can be pure poetry. Very sweetly done, Al :)

Alistair said...

Rebecca - Cheers {blush.....}

Elisabeth said...

I'm here through Kat RN, Alistair, very pleased to meet you and to be able to enjoy your wonderful writing.

I enjoy a trip to Scotland via the blogosphere. I'm from Australia.

One of my favourite bloggers, Jim Murdoch of 'the truth about lies' fame, comes from Glasgow. His blog is one to visit if you get a chance, that is if you're interested in books and writing and in truth and lies.

Most bloggers it seems to me are interested in these things, among others.

Alistair said...

Hullo Elizabeth - Thanks for such a nice comment. Thank you too for joining our wee band. It's much appreciated. I'll try not to disappoint {too often}.

Anonymous said...

Helen sounds like my kind of girl. And I love the way she dresses! To be so full of life is a wonderful thing. Joy has a ripple effect...Helen passed it on to you, you to us and so on.
I, too, came here via KatRN's blog. It's so nice to meet you : )

Alistair said...

Hullo LadyCat - I'm glad you enjoyed it too. It's fantastic how a fleeting glimpse into an innocuous and unimportant moment of someone elses life can in itself be so life affirming to others. She brought me such a smile that day.

Welcome to the gang!

regards.....Al.

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