Shirt Tales

Chapter 1 - Gift Shop

Saturday, May 7, 1983

Philip skipped along the narrow aisles of the Sears Department Store in Arlington, Virginia. Jamie clung obediently to Dotty's hand as they tried to keep up.

"Philip, slow down, dear. It's much too crowded for you to be jumping around," Dotty warned.

Philip turned his head without stopping. "I'm not jumping, Grandma. I'm skipping." But then he paused and waited for them.

Jamie tugged at Dotty's sleeve and looked up at her with his huge hazel eyes. "Grandma, why are we here again?"

"We are here to get your Mother a gift for Mother's Day. Remember? It's tomorrow."

A smile slowly grew on his face. "Oh, yeah. I remember." He thought for a moment. "Grandma, why isn't there a 'Kid's Day'?"

Dotty smiled lovingly at her small grandson and ruffled his sandy hair. "Every day is 'Kid's Day', Jamie," Dotty responded wearily. They stopped, and Dotty surveyed their surroundings. "How did we end up in the toy section? Where did your brother run off to?"

"He was skipping, Grandma," Jamie reminded her innocently.

"Yes he was, dear. Thank you for correcting me," she praised. The sarcasm was lost on Jamie. "Philip!" she called. "If you can't see me, I can't see you!"

Philip burst from between the aisles. "LOOK AT THIS! Look at what I found!" He yelled. He held a large box triumphantly above his head. "I found it. Mama's present!"

"Let me see that." Dotty took the box and examined it. "A Nerf baseball set?"

Jamie strained his neck to get a better look. "Cool!"

Philip explained excitedly, "It's a Nerf set! We can play baseball with Mama in the house!"

"That's awesome!" Jamie agreed. He glanced up at Dotty who did not look happy with Philip's choice. Then he added, sweetly, "Bbbuuuutttt Mom always says, 'Don't play ball in the house!'"

"Duh, Jamie. It's Nerf. It's made to be played inside, you Doofus!"

"Don't call your brother a 'Doofus'," Dotty scolded, putting the box back on the shelf. "Come on, boys. We're almost to the sleepwear department. I want to get your Mother the cozy blue robe I saw last week in the clearance section." She took both boys by the hand and marched them in that direction.

Philip dragged behind, hanging his head. "But, Grandma…" he protested.

Dotty pretended not to hear him and continued on. She spotted the robes along the far wall, and they began to make their way through the racks. "Okay, boys, let's hope and pray that that robe I saw is still here. Keep your eyes open. Oh, here we go. Right over here. Let's see… no, we don't want that color, Jamie. I don't like the brown. Oh my gosh! Here they are, boys! The blue ones. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that her size is still here. Oh, yes! They do have her size, and, look! It's been reduced again! Five more dollars off. This is perfect." She clapped her hands together in victory. "Your mother's gonna love this. She's absolutely gonna love it!"

The boys grew bored mid-ramble and began weaving between the racks of clothing.

Suddenly, Philip stopped. "GRANDMA!" He yelled.

To Be Continued…