The Piggly Wiggly Groupies…….

I am a frequent visitor to Piggly Wiggly. It is only around two miles from my home and I like to walk down and grab a newspaper, a pint of milk, and sit on the bench and smoke my pipe and/or cigarettes as I read and people watch.

For those of you who don’t know what Piggly Wiggly is, it is a chain of grocery stores primarily located in the southern USA. It was America's first true self-service grocery store and was founded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1916.

There is always this group of black men who hang out down there every day. It never fails that if I walk down I will see this group. One fellow, a young black man, always wears his baseball cap(the cap still has the store tag dangling from it) pulled low over his eyes and dons sunglasses. He is ALWAYS leaned up against the building next to the coke machine. I think he does this all day and doesn’t work as he is always down there. I always say hello and he raises his head in acknowledgement like African American males tend to do to a “brotha” or someone they know. That is the extent of our interaction.

Another African American fellow named George has latched onto me for some reason. I think he has me confused with someone else. He is in his sixties and for some reason treats as if I was a long time friend. As if we go way back. He tells me to drop him a line and wants to know where I live. He has a car and is clean cut and always asks me if he can take me home. I always decline and say, “Nah, I live just back behind here and enjoy the walk.”

This morning, I walked down to grab a paper and chocolate milk. George was sitting in his car in front of the store talking to another young lady. George drives this very beat up late to middle eighties dodge diplomat. He called me over and we had a strange conversation. I will now try to repeat it here in the best of my ability.

“Hey man, come ova here for a sec.” George asked.

“Hey George, what’s up?” I replied as I walked over.

“I want a banana and a beer. Will grab me one on the way out?” George asked.

“Um, okay. You sure? A banana and a beer?” I asked kind of confused. That is surely a weird breakfast.

“Yo man, a banana is only 20 cents and a natural ice is less than a dollar. Do you think you can swing it for me?” George replied.

I thought what the hell. I will get the man a banana and a beer so I walked in, grabbed the local valley times news, a pint of milk, one banana, and one natural light beer and purchased it. I walked back outside and handed it to George and he proceeded to peel the banana and crack open the beer.

George went on to start this long conversation on about being a cab driver for 40 years and knowing everyone in the Valley. I tried my best to escape but every time I made my move to walk away he would say, “Hold on a sec. Don’t go just yet.”

I finally broke free and started for my walk home. No sitting on the bench in front of the store today. I would just sit on the porch at home. This whole thing just strikes me as weird. How does the guy know me and who is he confusing me with? I don’t know and the mystery still remains.