Page 48 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #3

As I stood there waiting as she worked on Ms. Sellers arrived, offering him a sau-
other orders and mine, I looked more care- sage “biscuit,” which was a large sausage link
fully around the store. Because there was no wrapped in a slice of white bread, probably
sign out front denoting what the store was, I grilled in butter. “I’ve told you about popping
guessed that, at some time, it had gone out of pills in here!” she scolded humorously as she
business, and Mr. Griggs had taken it over. I handed him the sandwich. She laughed and
learned later that he had purchased it 11 or 12 headed back to the grill.
years earlier. It was a typical rural store with As I sat there eating my breakfast in the
the usual racks filled with convenience items middle of a small, rural town in South Caroli-
and food basics. It was rather dark in the store, na, among a group of people that was made up
and it had a rather well-worn appearance in- of a number of African-Americans, I couldn’t
side. Alongside the community table that I help but realize that there was a period in my
mentioned earlier, there was a full-size pool lifetime when this scene would not have been
table that was now used to display all sorts of possible. Black folks would not have been wel-
things that were stacked on it. come here or might have had to get service
Ms. Sellers came up to the bar and handed from a side or back door.
me my Atkins concoction in a Styrofoam con- I finished my “sandwich,” excused myself
tainer. Because I had remained standing af- from the table, and went to pay.
ter placing my order, she must have assumed Mr. Griggs was no longer at the register. A
I wanted it to go. I thanked her and looked for young man with a short buzz cut and a hand-
a place to sit. some face had replaced him. I guessed it might
The short bar was still full, so I eyed the com- be his son. A rule in these businesses is to have
munity table. It is hard to know where to sit in a family member at the register. I learned that
such a situation. Some people might not like his name was Ronald Griggs, and that he was
some stranger sitting beside them. I did not Mr. Griggs’ grandson.
know if there were rules as to who could even I told him what I’d had, and he said I owed
sit there. I saw a corner spot that I thought $2.50. I noted that he was wearing shorts and
would not invade anyone’s space and moved that he had lost most of his right leg, from
toward it. A gentleman was sitting across from somewhere above the knee, and had an artifi-
that spot, and I asked him if I could sit there, cial leg. I asked him if he had lost his leg in the
as I motioned towards the vacant seat. service.
“Sure,” he said with a friendly smile. I “No sir,” he replied. “I served in the Army
would describe him as an older man, as most for four years in Iraq and Afghanistan. I had
of the other people there were older. But, at been out 19 days when a lady ran head-on into
67, I realized in writing this that I am having me while I was riding a motorcycle.”
trouble describing people as older. So, per- “Thank you for your service,” I replied. “I’m
haps I should say he might have been older sorry about your leg. It’s amazing that you
than me. survived your service only to lose your leg at
He looked back at me and opened his hand. home.”
In it, I saw seven or eight pills. “No big deal,” he smiled. “The VA takes
“I was just getting ready to pop my pills,” he pretty good care of me.”
explained, as he launched into an explanation I thanked him again and went to my car.
of each one’s purpose. I did not stop to take a picture of the old
“I understand,” I answered. “I popped mine house. The light was not right, and I felt like I
early this morning.” might be intruding.

48 | A Game of Chance