When I got home, I noticed the answering machine had a new message. A pleasant female voice asked me to call their call center at an 800 number. When I called I was a little nervous to discover that the credit security people were at the number given. When I stammered out my particulars, they informed me that I had left my credit card at the last place I visited. Cool! Another chance to go back to see Marisa!
I strolled back into the store just as the lights were being turned off; Marisa turned to me and said, “Oh, there you are. I tried to get your address, I know that you live close, and I was going to drop it off to you, but the credit people wouldn’t give it to me. Look, I have to lock up, and my daughter’s late, would you mind if I close up the front?”
“Sure, no problem. Do you need some help?” “If you don’t mind, yes I could use it.” I helped Marisa slide the folding doors closed and I was tasked with locking the floor pins down. I took my time at the last pin so I could get a good look at her shoes while she stood beside me to lock the door. “Good, that’s done” she said, “They are such tyrants in this mall about having the doors open at exactly opening time, and closed at exactly closing time.” She looked at me after I stood up. “You’re tall, could you help me out in the back for a few minutes?” “OK” She led the way to the back, stopping to pick up her coat and a flashlight from the front counter. “I’ve got a ladder, could you change the light bulb? It’s been burnt for a week, and I’m tired of stepping on things that I can’t see back there.” In the back, it was dark. Marisa turned the flashlight towards the rear where the ladder was standing against the wall. I walked towards it, and lifted it with both hands. I was surprised by its top-heavy weight, and a cat’s squall informed me why; with a scrabble, the store feline managed to stay perched on top. “RUFUS, GET DOWN!” Marisa yelled. The cat pitched the ladder in my hands as it launched itself sideways towards a shelf. Being a large cat, the landing was less than graceful and took out some of the shelf’s contents. I couldn’t help but laugh. I asked “How big is that cat?” “Oh, he’s about 15 pounds.” Rufus then jumped down and created another racket close to the floor. I unfolded the ladder legs and kicked aside some of the boxes and wrapping material scattered across the floor next to me and I asked, “Where’s the light?” Marisa pointed the flashlight’s narrow beam at the ceiling and found a bulb about 11 feet high. I shuffled the ladder under the light and asked, “Where’s a good bulb?” She pointed the light at the floor next to her, about a foot behind her. Before she could move, I reached down beside her and grabbed the box of bulbs that I saw as she moved the light around. In the process, my shoulder bumped her thigh and I brushed her calf with my arm. I stood up and climbed up the ladder. Marisa pointed the flashlight back up to the ceiling saying, “Gosh, you move fast.” I thought she was talking about my climbing. I retorted: “It helps to be tall!” as I replaced the bulb. Marisa had a merry look on her face as the new bulb lit up the room. I also noticed that Rufus upset a shoe shelf next to a chair. I jumped down off the ladder, and folded it back against the wall. Marisa had turned away with the old bulb I handed to her and she walked towards the storefront. I gathered up the shipping refuse scattered across the floor and tossed it into the garbage can. I picked up the goods Rufus knocked down and replaced them on the shelf and then picked up a few leather shoes that were knocked onto the floor. I noticed that another pair were similar to those Marisa was wearing but darker. There was a shelf with several pairs lined up, and being a little OCD, I found a home for all the footwear I retrieved. When I stood up after rearranging the shoe shelf, Marisa was watching me from the doorway. “You are good help!” “Thank you,” I said. Marisa stepped towards me, shook off her left flat onto the top of the shelf, and stuck her foot into the darker pair of the same style with one fluid move. As Marisa repeated the move with her right foot, Rufus jumped up and started to paw at the left insole. “Rufus must have left a prize in there for himself.” “Hmmm? What?” I asked. “Oh, he usually finds extras on the floor, and I’ve caught him a few times leaving mouse corpses back here.” She shooed Rufus off the shelf and I picked up the still warm left shoe.