Shopping for Tiles
"MASH THE BUTTON!" Carol called over the top of her SUV.
"Do what?" Lana gazed across to her friend who was standing at the back of her car with the gas nozzle inserted into the gas tank. She began to laugh because she realized what Carol was trying to tell her, and she had never heard it said in such a way.
"COME ON! MASH THE BUTTON!" Carol called out impatiently, seeing absolutely nothing funny.
"Well, I'll press the Premium if that's what you're saying." She pressed the button and hopped back into the car to wait. She was giggling when Carol finally got in and gave her a questioning stare.
"I'm sorry," Lana giggled. "I've never heard anyone say 'mash the button' before."
"What do you say?" Carol snapped.
"Everyone that I know says 'press' the button."
"Well, y'all are in the south now," Carol drawled, "so y'all might just as well get used to it. Ain't no one around here that says 'press'." She wrinkled her nose up when she said that, and Lana giggled all the more. Carol never laughed or even grinned at Lana, but she was grinning inside and Lana knew it.
The conversation during the ride to buy ceramic tile was today's episode of Carol's family and its problems. There was always a new twist or a new story to be related and discussed for these were large families on both Carol's and her husband Willie's side. One or another was always causing some kind of stir, and it was an ongoing saga that kept Carol worrying, though she would never admit that. Good Christians don't worry, and she was a good Christian.
Just then Carol realized she had taken a wrong turn as they were talking, so she stopped in the middle of the road and made a u-turn right there. Thankfully they were in a small town, but it was a highway, and Lana held her breath. Carol never got caught by a policeman doing these things, and she had never caused an accident, but Lana had seen some angry stares by other drivers from time to time. Carol neither saw nor cared about those looks. She was careful, and she thought that was good enough. So far, it had been.
The turn that was missed was a short cut that they always took when they were traveling this way. It was a road that meandered through a residential area of this pretty little town, and, remembering how her friend had lapses in her memory at times, purposely Lana thought, she reminded Carol of the stop sign ahead that was hidden by trees.
"I'll remember," said she, and as they came to the corner she slowed down, looked both ways and kept going, right on through the intersection.
"Nice stop," Lana deadpanned.
"Thank you, I'll stop twice when we come back." And that was that. Lana had absolutely no fears riding with Carol. She was one of the best drivers she had ever ridden with, other than herself. Lana loved being with Carol because they went all over northern Georgia to make deliveries for Carol's gift shop, so Lana was learning about the area. She had to keep track of landmarks because of all the twists and turns in all the roads due to the mountains. If you weren't going round and round you were going up and down, and if you didn't keep track of landmarks you were sure to get lost if you were new to the area.
Soon they pulled into the parking lot of the wholesale house which for some reason was packed with cars, not normal at a wholesale place.
"Oh, no. They're covered up," groaned Carol.
"They're what?"
"They're covered up. They're busy. There's lots of people here. What's WRONG with you?" Carol drawled all this together, feigning irritation, and Lana started giggling again. The woman talks funny, and she doesn't even know it. She shook her head and they emerged from the car into the vast steel building crammed with flooring of every kind.
Carol walked directly to the stack of boxes with the product she wanted. She had obviously been here before. A man who looked like a warehouseman, but was the salesperson came up and he and Carol began their verbal dance. Lana stepped back a bit, knowing that this might get a bit embarrassing for her. Carol's business allowed her to buy almost everything on wholesale, or below. The lengths that she went to to get a good price was a scene that often made Lana uneasy. This time was no exception.
"Why is this box of tiles that I want marked higher than that one?" she heard Carol ask.
"Because it's a different style."
"But they're the same size and they have similar patterns."
"What you want is a better quality."
"Well, this is a lot more than I want to pay, but it's what I want."
Lana knew that they were going to walk out of this place with that same tile and it wouldn't cost what the salesman was saying. She began to look around at the other boxes of tiles so she didn't have to hear this. She understood bickering over a price for cars and such, but she felt Carol went too far. In fact, Lana was sure that every salesperson heaved a sigh of relief when they could watch this lady walk out of their store, sale or no sale. When she ventured back they were near an agreement. But, Carol wasn't done yet.
Carol was looking through the box and she suddenly stopped.
"This box has broken tiles in it."
"Okay," said the salesman, "I'll get you another box."
"Why can't I have this one at half price?"
"Oh no," Lana thought.
The salesman looked and there were only three tiles broken. He said they would just replace the tiles and she would have a good full box. But, no. She wanted that box, and she only wanted to pay half price.
This continued for a few minutes, and as the two began to walk to the paying counter Carol was satisfied. She would be purchasing three boxes of the tile she had wanted, no broken ones included, all at half the price marked on the boxes. Lana had no idea why these people caved in to this woman, but they always did.
Carol wrote her check and handed it to the cashier. She looked back and stated loudly, "Y'all need to get somebody to carry these boxes out. I sure ain't strong enough," and three men jumped to grab the boxes to rush them out to the car. But, before she turned away, she spied a box of tiles on the floor beside the counter.
"What's that box there?"
She was informed that it was a box that had been dropped and had many broken tiles in it. It was the very same kind of tile that Carol had just purchased.
"What are you going to do with it?" asked Carol.
They were going to trash it.
Lana knew the next question before it was out of Carol's mouth.
"Well, why can't I have it if there are unbroken ones in it?"
Immediately another worker grabbed the box and out the door he went. Lana had no idea how they knew which car to go to.
Carol hopped into the SUV with obvious delight and satisfaction as Lana quietly slid into her seat. Carol had just purchased three and a half boxes of the tile she had come for at the price of one and a half as marked on the cases. She lived for days like this. As they drove away, one was beaming and the other was slouched just slightly in the passenger's seat, glad to be on her way.
Carol was so happy about her purchase that she actually did stop twice at that stop sign on their way back through that little town, and she bought lunch for the two of them. This was a great day, and they were celebrating.
Just then Carol realized she had taken a wrong turn as they were talking, so she stopped in the middle of the road and made a u-turn right there. Thankfully they were in a small town, but it was a highway, and Lana held her breath. Carol never got caught by a policeman doing these things, and she had never caused an accident, but Lana had seen some angry stares by other drivers from time to time. Carol neither saw nor cared about those looks. She was careful, and she thought that was good enough. So far, it had been.
The turn that was missed was a short cut that they always took when they were traveling this way. It was a road that meandered through a residential area of this pretty little town, and, remembering how her friend had lapses in her memory at times, purposely Lana thought, she reminded Carol of the stop sign ahead that was hidden by trees.
"I'll remember," said she, and as they came to the corner she slowed down, looked both ways and kept going, right on through the intersection.
"Nice stop," Lana deadpanned.
"Thank you, I'll stop twice when we come back." And that was that. Lana had absolutely no fears riding with Carol. She was one of the best drivers she had ever ridden with, other than herself. Lana loved being with Carol because they went all over northern Georgia to make deliveries for Carol's gift shop, so Lana was learning about the area. She had to keep track of landmarks because of all the twists and turns in all the roads due to the mountains. If you weren't going round and round you were going up and down, and if you didn't keep track of landmarks you were sure to get lost if you were new to the area.
Soon they pulled into the parking lot of the wholesale house which for some reason was packed with cars, not normal at a wholesale place.
"Oh, no. They're covered up," groaned Carol.
"They're what?"
"They're covered up. They're busy. There's lots of people here. What's WRONG with you?" Carol drawled all this together, feigning irritation, and Lana started giggling again. The woman talks funny, and she doesn't even know it. She shook her head and they emerged from the car into the vast steel building crammed with flooring of every kind.
Carol walked directly to the stack of boxes with the product she wanted. She had obviously been here before. A man who looked like a warehouseman, but was the salesperson came up and he and Carol began their verbal dance. Lana stepped back a bit, knowing that this might get a bit embarrassing for her. Carol's business allowed her to buy almost everything on wholesale, or below. The lengths that she went to to get a good price was a scene that often made Lana uneasy. This time was no exception.
"Why is this box of tiles that I want marked higher than that one?" she heard Carol ask.
"Because it's a different style."
"But they're the same size and they have similar patterns."
"What you want is a better quality."
"Well, this is a lot more than I want to pay, but it's what I want."
Lana knew that they were going to walk out of this place with that same tile and it wouldn't cost what the salesman was saying. She began to look around at the other boxes of tiles so she didn't have to hear this. She understood bickering over a price for cars and such, but she felt Carol went too far. In fact, Lana was sure that every salesperson heaved a sigh of relief when they could watch this lady walk out of their store, sale or no sale. When she ventured back they were near an agreement. But, Carol wasn't done yet.
Carol was looking through the box and she suddenly stopped.
"This box has broken tiles in it."
"Okay," said the salesman, "I'll get you another box."
"Why can't I have this one at half price?"
"Oh no," Lana thought.
The salesman looked and there were only three tiles broken. He said they would just replace the tiles and she would have a good full box. But, no. She wanted that box, and she only wanted to pay half price.
This continued for a few minutes, and as the two began to walk to the paying counter Carol was satisfied. She would be purchasing three boxes of the tile she had wanted, no broken ones included, all at half the price marked on the boxes. Lana had no idea why these people caved in to this woman, but they always did.
Carol wrote her check and handed it to the cashier. She looked back and stated loudly, "Y'all need to get somebody to carry these boxes out. I sure ain't strong enough," and three men jumped to grab the boxes to rush them out to the car. But, before she turned away, she spied a box of tiles on the floor beside the counter.
"What's that box there?"
She was informed that it was a box that had been dropped and had many broken tiles in it. It was the very same kind of tile that Carol had just purchased.
"What are you going to do with it?" asked Carol.
They were going to trash it.
Lana knew the next question before it was out of Carol's mouth.
"Well, why can't I have it if there are unbroken ones in it?"
Immediately another worker grabbed the box and out the door he went. Lana had no idea how they knew which car to go to.
Carol hopped into the SUV with obvious delight and satisfaction as Lana quietly slid into her seat. Carol had just purchased three and a half boxes of the tile she had come for at the price of one and a half as marked on the cases. She lived for days like this. As they drove away, one was beaming and the other was slouched just slightly in the passenger's seat, glad to be on her way.
Carol was so happy about her purchase that she actually did stop twice at that stop sign on their way back through that little town, and she bought lunch for the two of them. This was a great day, and they were celebrating.
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