False Conviction

Chapter 9: A Witness

She leads. I follow. One step… two steps… it does not matter. That is how it has been since the very beginning. Even in the womb, she went first, and I followed. Years ago… many, many years ago.

Yes, let us put on our scarves, so the wind does not give us earaches. She wears the pink one. I wear the blue one. I like the pink one better, but she made first choice, and she chose pink, so I have blue. She always chooses first because she was first. She was before me. It is the right way. Mama always told me that she goes first because she came first.

Next… our cotton jackets. If she wears hers, I wear mine even if I do not want to wear one. Most of the time though, I want to. I get chilled so often now. That did not happen when I was young… when we were young. We always wear something over our shoulders when we go out. It is the proper thing for a lady… even for old ladies like us. She wears the light pink jacket. It looks nice with her bright pink head scarf. I wear the light blue jacket. I do not like blue. I wish just once, I could wear the pink scarf and jacket. It would not be proper, but it would be nice just one time. I think I would like that.

Out the door… follow in her steps. It is a good thing I reminded her about her change purse, or we would have gotten to the grocery store and had to turn back home because she forgot her purse. Not me. I keep mine in my jacket pocket. I never forget my little purse. I hold it tight… just the way Mama taught me to. That way, nobody can take it from me. Keep a good, strong grip on it.

Stay on the sidewalk and keep your head down. Observe others only out of the corners of your eyes. Use your peripheral vision I remember Mama saying. I do not know why. I do not see others walking with their heads low all the time like we do, but I suppose Mama knew what she was talking about when she told us. On we go, walking with our heads down. Ten blocks to the store; ten blocks back. We are halfway there now and...

Oh My Goodness!! Did you not see me? Go away you horrible man! Do not touch me! My sister will help me up! Sister!!

Brush off my clothes… what a nasty tumble that was on the hard ce-ment. No, he was not watching where he was going. Dirty man and in such a hurry… he thinks nothing of knocking an old woman to the ground. You think there was a fire he had to put out.

No, I am fine, Sister. I will need to patch the elbow of my jacket though because I fear there is a hole in it now. You might need to help me wash the cut on my arm and put some mercurochrome on it so as to avoid a bad infection. I know we must use the mercurochrome sparingly. They don’t sell it at the grocery anymore, and our bottle of it is quite old and nearly empty. Yes, I am fine. Let us be on our way. Yes, it was a nasty fall, but I have had worse falls. I know I was younger back then, but I am fine, really. It will heal. Why are you asking me? I do not know what his hurry was.

She takes the lead. I follow. My elbow hurts. It is beginning to swell, but I will put ice on it when we return home. Right now, we need to get groceries for dinner.

That man was rude. He should have been watching where he was going. I saw him out of the corner of my eye as he practically ran out of the house and down the walkway. How he missed seeing me on the sidewalk, I do not know. He certainly is younger than me and if my old eyes saw him, I wonder why he did not see me. Haste makes waste Mama always said.

What a nasty, nasty man. He smelled dirty and sweaty, and there was blood on his shirt. Blood! I do not know why anyone would walk around with blood on their shirt. Oh goodness… look here. He got blood on my jacket. I hope it will wash out. Better yet, I will toss it in the rag bag and buy a new one… a pink one maybe.