The man checked his watch.
Then sighed again.
The man checked his watch.
Grandpa tilted his head.
“Somebody’s in a hurry, Addy. I heard that loud sigh.”
I guided Grandpa closer to the shelves.
“Let’s let them pass, Grandpa.”
We stopped.
There was enough room.
“Let’s let them pass, Grandpa.”
The man didn’t move.
Instead, he stared at us with open irritation.
“Seriously?”
I turned. “Excuse me?”
He gestured toward Grandpa.
“If you’re going to move THAT slowly, maybe you shouldn’t be here when the store is crowded.”
The man didn’t move.
I swallowed back a sharp reply.
His wife touched his arm.
“Leave it, John.”
He ignored her.
Then his eyes dropped to Grandpa’s white cane.
“Leave it, John.”
He gave a short, humorless laugh.
“People LIKE HIM should stay home instead of making everyone else wait.”
For a second, I couldn’t speak.
The little girl looked up at her father and said, “Daddy…”
His wife whispered his name, but he waved her off.
“People LIKE HIM should stay home instead of making everyone else wait.”
I stepped forward.
“What exactly do you mean by ‘people like him’?”
“Adam.” Grandpa’s hand closed around my wrist.
I looked at him.
Grandpa’s face was calm.
“Let him go, dear.”
Grandpa’s face was calm.
“He just said you shouldn’t be allowed to shop because you’re blind, Grandpa.”
“I heard him, son.”
“Then let me answer.”
Grandpa squeezed my wrist once.
“No.”
“I heard him, son.”
The man’s mouth curled slightly, like he’d somehow won.
That made my anger worse.
Grandpa leaned toward me.
“We came for groceries, not an argument.”
The stranger rolled his eyes.
“Finally!”
That made my anger worse.
He pushed his cart around us.
His wife followed without looking at me.
The little girl lingered for half a second.
She glanced at Grandpa’s cane.
Then at her father.
Then hurried after them.
He pushed his cart around us.
I watched them disappear around the end of the aisle.
“You should’ve let me say something, Grandpa.”
Grandpa reached toward the shelf.
“What kind of pasta sauce am I touching? Marinara?”
“Grandpa…”
“You should’ve let me say something, Grandpa.”
He smiled. “You’re still angry.”
“Yes.”
“That’s inconvenient.”
“He humiliated you, Grandpa.”
“No.”
That stopped me.
Grandpa turned toward my voice. “He tried to.”
“He humiliated you.”
I exhaled.
“You’re too calm, Grandpa.”
“You’re too 28, Addy.”
I laughed despite myself.
He tapped his cane once against the floor.
