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The parking lot at Whole Foods was packed, hipsters and suburbanites running around like headless chickens. Steve was beyond grateful that Sam had dropped him off before parking the car farther out. A northern wind, biting cold, was aggravating his asthma already. Walking from the far reaches of the parking lot would have been awful. Waiting for his roommate to return, Steve’s fingers itched for something to draw the bustling scene with. He watched the people go by with the interest of an experienced people-watcher.
Yelling broke above the general loudness of the shoppers and Steve turned to see a middle-aged woman berating a man as he got out of his car. Her short hair bobbed as she lectured him. Two young children ran amok around her, knocking over the displays in front of the store. One picked up an apple and threw it at a passing shopper, but the mother didn't seem to notice.
“You are what’s wrong with this generation! Not only can you not seem to afford a haircut, but now you’re stealing a handicapped spot from someone with a real disability because you’re too lazy to walk? Our world is doomed!” The woman’s rant was building in volume, attracting a small crowd. From Steve’s vantage point near the scene, he could see that the guy’s old pickup was in a handicapped spot. Clearly displayed in the windshield was the requisite sticker.
The guy, who couldn’t be much older than Steve himself, stood stoically through the woman’s tirade. Steve couldn’t imagine taking abuse like that from a total stranger. He knew he would have lost his temper well before now, and had in the past. People treating him as stupid because of his hearing loss were his least favorite and the most likely to make him blow up. Sam was an expert at pulling him out of fights. In fact, Steve was about to head over there and give that woman a piece of his mind right then and there.
“Hey, guards!” The woman was gesturing over the store’s security guards, who had been drawn to the commotion. “Can’t you do something about this? It’s wrong for this young man to park here! There are actual disabled people who need it!” she continued. Finally the man shifted from his eerie stillness, messing with his arm.
There was an audible gasp as the man threw a prosthetic arm at the angry woman’s feet. His left sleeve hung empty as he stared at her. She blinked, gaping at the arm laying across her pumps.
Steve broke the silence with a big, booming laugh. Other people joined in quickly, with the occasional cheer. Steve laughed so hard he started to wheeze and his eyes started to water. In the cold weather the laughter turned in to an asthma attack quickly. He struggled to breathe as he dug in his pockets for an inhaler. Wearing as many layers of clothing as he did, the inhaler was difficult to locate. In a flash of panic, Steve wondered if he’d remembered one.
People drew towards him as he frantically dug through his pockets but he tuned them out. Finally he found the inhaler and took a deep puff. Shoulders heaving, he sat down on the sidewalk.
“Are you alright?” said a voice from above him. Through watery eyes Steve saw the man with the prosthetic arm hovering over him. Long, dark hair fell over his face as he peered down at Steve. Steve managed a nod and a weak smile to the stranger. The smile he got in return nearly took his breath away again.
“Glad I crack you up so much. Can I buy you something to drink to make up for nearly killing you?” he offered, his hand outstretched to pull Steve up. Steve accepted the help gladly.
“I feel like I should be buying your drink after that stunt, but why not?”